The Protector
by TwiliRupee
Summary: AU. In an era of peace, men and women chosen by the goddesses to protect the Triforce face a new evil.  Only Link, the youngest Protector, is left to find the six sages and bring peace back to Hyrule.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: "Well, here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." Ok, I'm going to stop with that now before I get Portal 2's song stuck in my head...oh, too late. It's a great song: go listen to it (Youtube Portal 2 - 'Want You Gone'). Anyway! Here's my OOT/TP mash-up. You'll find elements of both games in here, so I hope you aren't too confused as we go along..._

_Just to give you a time reference, this takes place about 197 years after the events of **Twilight Princess**_.__

__And, since the story is completely written, I will be updating every Monday and Friday.__

__Enjoy and thanks for reading! ~TwiliRupee__

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>  
>Saria stared up at the clouds as they passed overhead, creating patches of white and blue. She sighed. She was lying on top of her house in the Kokiri Forest, one hand supporting her head, the other holding her Fairy Ocarina. Her fairy rested beside her on the roof. Recently, cloud gazing had become a favorite past time of Saria's. There was nothing to do but this and stroll through the Lost Woods to the Forest Temple where she would sit and remember the old days when evil reigned and hope was scarce...a time when she, the Sage of Forest, was called upon to lend aid to the Hero and vanquish the tyrant..<p>

But those old days had been a long time ago.

She sighed again and gripped the Ocarina tighter, as once again a pang of longing filled her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of the forest around her. The wind in the leaves and the birds chirping and fluttering in the sky. There were a few playful shouts from several of the Kokiri playing in the water by the little shop on the other side of the small village. The day crickets chirped loudly in the grass. All of the sounds mixed together, forming a symphony she never grew tired of.

"Saria?"

Saria opened her eyes. She looked over to the right and saw Mido and his fairy watching her.

"Hey, Mido," Saria said simply, returning her gaze to the sky. She squinted at a new cloud forming. It almost looked like a Triforce.

"Are...are you ok?" Mido asked.

"Why?"

"You seem sad."

"It's not new for me to be sad." She glanced at the other Kokiri again and sat up. "Come join me."

Mido nodded and sat down next to her. Saria glanced up at the sky again. The Triforce-shaped cloud was becoming more and more recognizable.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Mido asked. Saria looked at him again. Concern filled his blue eyes.

"Not really."

"Do...you want to talk about it?" Mido seemed surprised himself for asking this question. "I mean...if it's something you can talk about. If it's something for a sage's knowledge only..." He trailed off.

"It's nothing to do with my duty as a sage," Saria answered. She sighed. Being members of a long-living race, Saria and Mido had learned to confide in each other and the other Kokiri to help with personal dilemmas and other things. Before the evil times, Saria found that Mido was a great person to talk to. Despite his slightly snooty attitude, he was a great confidant and was full of advice. Yet she hadn't talked to him like this in a long time.

"I...don't know how to say it..." Saria said. "But I'll tell you a story."

Mido nodded and Saria began.

"There once was a great Hero, noble of birth, yet a humble child of the forest. Though considered he a Kokiri by all when he was young, he was Hylian...and therefore mortal. His life was filled with triumph aided by Courage. He rid the world of the darkest evil, and came to watch over Hyrule as king. But, like all mortals, he was not to remain on this land forever..."

Saria stopped as her throat began to ache with oncoming tears. Mido watched her. She took a deep breath and turned her face way from Mido. She would not let him see her cry.

"You miss him, don't you?" Mido asked after a few moments.

Saria nodded with a sob. "I mean, I know it's been years and years since he's been gone, but...I just can't get over it." She gave a weary sigh. "Not even any other of my fellow sages live on this earth like I do. They remain as spirits in their temples scattered through Old Hyrule. I live on. It's the curse of immortality."

Mido remained silent. Saria wiped a tear from her face and looked down at her Ocarina.

"I can't relate to your situation very well," Mido said suddenly. "I was never close to him...and I never went and made friends with anyone on the outside. Not like you."

"Why were you so mean to him when he was here? When he thought of himself as a Kokiri."

Now it was Mido's turn to be silent. "I was jealous, I guess. I mean, The Great Deku Tree took him in and treated him as if he had been here as long as we had. I remember that day so well, that day he and his mother came...his mother dying. But he seemed to get a lot of the attention from the Great Deku Tree, and from you. But when I found out his destiny, I understood why. The Great Deku Tree wanted him to be strong and to have encouragement to face his future, and you...well, you are a sage, and heroes are always close to those who assist them in saving the world."

"But we didn't know yet...not then."

"Still." Mido sighed and laid back, looking up at the sky. Saria looked down at her Ocarina once more. She placed the instrument to her lips and began to play. But it wasn't the song she normally played: the happy song that had once made her fellow sage dance. It was a song as old as time itself.

She faltered on a note, more tears streaming down her face. A sob filled her and she stopped playing all together. Putting her face in her hands, she began to cry. Mido sat up, concerned for his friend. Gently, he placed a hand on her back. Saria leaned into him, trying to take comfort. Mido, surprised by this gesture, wrapped his arms around her.

And the Sage of Forest cried on, one name being muttered over and over again...

...Link.

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><p>It took Saria half an hour before she calmed down. And when she did, she went off into the Lost Woods, needing to be alone...only with the accompaniment of her fairy, who followed her silently. As she reached the Forest Temple, she looked around. The stump she had once used for a seat was so old now that it could fall apart at any moment. So instead, she sat in the middle of a large, hexagonal, stone platform. The platform not only had the Triforce etched into it, but also the symbol of the Forest.<p>

Her thoughts once again turned to the olden days. How wonderful it would be if something new and exciting happened, some grand adventure to pluck up the spirits? Not that she wanted Hyrule do be endangered and on the brink of destruction, but when one lives forever, a little spice in life would make enduring it so much easier.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: So just to prevent confusion, the Link mentioned by Saria in the previous chapter is the Link from OOT/TP (cause for some reason I decided back when I wrote this and the others about that Link, that TP Link and OOT Link were the same). The Link here in this story is a new Link not from any game whatsoever. And, thanks to SuperninjaX and TriforceandSheikahArts for reviewing the previous chapter. Enjoy and thanks for reading!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<br>**The young man sat in the courtyard of Old Hyrule Castle, his nose buried deep in a book. He was the only son of the Protector and his late wife, and he knew that one day he would take on the responsibility and become, like his father, the Protector. Just as his cousin had recently inherited the status of king, although the two of them were nearly the same age, so would this young man inherit the status of the Protector.

No matter how many times his destiny was shoved in his face, however, he didn't like to fight. He thought sword fighting was nowhere near as productive as settling a dispute through talking and calmly negotiating. And when his father had suggested becoming a knight, he had shrugged and replied, "I'd rather be a scholar than a knight."

The comment had annoyed the Protector, but he let it slide, knowing that his son would one day have to learn the art of the sword. That had been a year ago. And this young man, barely out of his childhood days, was nowhere near agreeing to learn how to use a sword.

He now smiled and eagerly turned a page in his book, yearning for more. But he would not get more.

"Link!" The voice echoed through the courtyard. Link looked up and saw his father, Conrad, approaching. Link snapped the book shut as his father came to stand in front of him.

"Reading some more, I see," Conrad said, his deep voice betraying the disappointment he felt.

Link sighed. "Father, it's a good book. I was just getting to the best part! He was just about to find out that his friend is actually a princess."

Conrad sighed. "You do realize that that's a history book, don't you?"

Link nodded. He glanced down at the cover of the book, longing to get back to reading, before looking up at his father's face again. There was a look in the Protector's eyes, a certain sadness that had crept in six years ago when Link's mother and grandparents died from an illness. In one fell swoop, Conrad had lost his parents and wife. He had never gotten over it.

"I have news for you, my son," Conrad said now, tapping the sword that hung at his side. Link immediately understood what he meant.

"Father," Link protested, "can't I just stay here and read?"

"No," Conrad replied. "Link, you are fourteen-years-old. It's time you learned how to use a sword. And besides, one day you will become the Protector, and sword fighting-"

"I know, I know," Link interrupted in a slightly bored tone, "sword fighting is a necessary skill for the job. But I don't want to fight." _Much less become the Protector,_ he added to himself.

Conrad looked at his son with mild surprise. He sighed. "Come. I want to show you something." Link nodded and stood, following his father out of the castle grounds and into town.

Link looked around eagerly. No matter how many times he came into town, he always enjoyed the hustle and bustle. Yet this time he noticed something new. Off to the side, a group of ninja men and women were clustered close together, talking in low voices.

"Father?" Link asked. "Who are those people?"

"Members of the Sheikah Tribe," Conrad replied, barely looking in the direction of ninjas. Link nodded. He had read about the Sheikah Tribe, how it had once nearly died out but grew back, how they were the protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule. He glanced once more at the Sheikah. One of them, a girl his age, noticed his look and smiled at him. He smiled back and nearly ran into a woman laden with shopping bags.

"Watch yourself, lad!" the woman said.

"Sorry," Link replied. He dodged around the woman and dashed to catch up with his father, glancing back at the Sheikah girl once more. Suddenly, Link realized where his father was taking him as they climbed a small set of stairs that led to a quiet courtyard.

"The...Temple of Time?"

"It's time you learned just what being the Protector means," Conrad said.

"I know it has to do with the Triforce..." Link said.

"There's more to it than just that." Father and son began to climb the stairs, and entered the ancient building.

It was dead quiet inside: one could have heard a feather drop. Link stopped in front of a raised platform, looking around him with curiosity. The platform had a Triforce etched into it, as well as a symbol he didn't recognize. Across from the entrance was a large stone door with the seal of the Royal Family. Above the door was a Triforce symbol.

Conrad watched his son carefully. "You know the history of the Protector by now, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Link replied. "But, if Hyrule hasn't seen evil in so long, why do we need to protect the Triforce? What is endangering it?"

Conrad sighed and turned to look at the stone door, which Link had realized was the Door of Time, behind which was the entrance to the Sacred Realm. "It is a prevention against evil. You see, the Triforce has immense power, and it can give anyone great courage, wisdom, or power, or, if the person is the Protector, all three, since our hearts are in equal balance. It is also said that it grants the wish of whoever touches such raw power. It was because of this that two hundred and four years ago Hyrule fell into a time of darkness. A man of pure evil got to the Triforce and gained Power. If it hadn't been for the Hero of Time, who had Courage, and the Princess of Destiny, who had Wisdom, Hyrule would have been utterly destroyed.

"A century and a half ago, when the role of the Protector was created by William, the grandson of the Hero of Time and the son of the Heroine of Time, it was a means of prevention to make sure that the dark time would never, ever happen again. And so far, we, meaning the Protectors since William, have succeeded.

"But recently, I have sensed a foul wind beginning to blow. I fear Hyrule is in danger once more, which I why I asked the leader of the Sheikah tribe to send some warriors to be here to help in case the worst happens. And the worst always seems to happen when the Triforce is involved: those who want it for evil purposes would do anything and everything to get at it."

Link looked around once more. He knew what he had to do, and thinking on all that his father had told him, he was sure of it now. He would not like it, but it was what he had to do.

"I will fight, Father," Link said, breaking the silence. His voice echoed through the old building, coming back to him in a tone he barely recognized. Conrad turned to him, a look of pride filling his eyes.

"I may not like it, but for the sake of Hyrule I will learn to use a sword and I will fight." Link knew now that the Protector had been right. It was time to accept his destiny.

* * *

><p>As Link followed his father out into town again, the Sheikah girl immediately confronted him. "You are the son of the Protector, are you not?" she asked without any greeting whatsoever. Link noticed she had an elegant way of speaking. She was like no other girl he had ever seen. Her eyes were a deep, purple-blue, and her short blond hair was tied up tight in a ponytail, with just a few strands of hair framing her eyes. She wore tight-fitting pants, and a form-fitting, but not so tight, shirt with a eye-and-teardrop pattern on it.<p>

"Yes. My name is Link," he replied.

"I am Zelda-Aurea," the girl replied. Then a grin appeared on her serious face. "But everyone just calls me Zelda."

This surprised Link. He had, though his reading, found out that this was the name of the Hero of Time's wife, the Princess of Destiny. It seemed that the Sheikah knew what he was thinking. "It is said in our tribe that Queen Zelda once disguised herself as a Sheikah in the dark times. She is quite famous because of that. Though I am the first to carry her name. And you…you carry the name of the Hero Link." Link nodded.

"Zelda!" A voice called through the crowd, quieting the talking for a moment before the noise picked up once more.

"Here, Mama!" Zelda called back. Another Sheikah emerged from the crowd, accompanied by Conrad. Link could tell that this Sheikah woman was Zelda's mother. The two were very alike, save for their eyes. This Sheikah had blue eyes with a red tinge.

"So that is where you went off to," the Sheikah said. Zelda shrugged. She looked up at the sky, fiddling with her hair.

"Link," Conrad began, "this is my good friend Camilla. Cami, this is my son."

"I am glad to finally meet you," Camilla said with a nod. "Conrad has told me much about you…especially how you are quite the scholar."

"Soon, though, he will become a warrior: he's finally agreed to let me teach him sword fighting."

Camilla raised her eyebrows, and nodded knowingly. Conrad grinned. "Well, Link, perhaps-"

Shouts cut the Protector off. These were not shouts of fear, but ones of surprise. The crowd began to part, revealing a horse whose rider was bent forward over the horse's neck. Link gasped.

The rider was his cousin, King Leroy. And he looked terribly wounded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**  
>Conrad ran over to the king, a look of worry etched on his face. Camilla followed after a short exclamation in another language. Zelda's eyes widened. "I have never heard Mama use that before," she said to Link before walking over as well. A crowd was gathering around the wounded king.<p>

"Stand back!" Camilla ordered as Link and Zelda pushed their way to the front of the group of people. Conrad helped Leroy down from the horse, and almost immediately the king fell to his knees. His teeth were grit with pain. Conrad knelt down beside him, giving him support.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Some people attacked the castle. Don't know what they were looking for, but I think they got it." Leroy's face contorted in pain. There was a deep gash in his side that bled constantly, and his blue eyes were dull, his face pale.

"Was it the throne? Did they want to usurp the throne?" Camilla asked.

"No. Something else."

"And you came all the way from New Hyrule like this?" Conrad demanded.

"I had no choice. They would have killed me," Leroy replied. His voice was weakening. "The Triforce is in danger. They must be stopped. I think they were looking for the Ocarina…the Ocarina of Time."

"Save your energy, Leroy," Conrad said.

"No, protect…the Triforce. Rule…for…"

Leroy stopped talking. His arm that was pressed against his wound dropped.

The king was dead.

The crowd gathered around began to erupt in cries. Link barely heard them. His eyes were locked on Leroy's lifeless face. He began to shake. He was only jarred from his stupor when more Sheikah started pushing the crowd back.

Conrad set his nephew down gently and stood, addressing the crowd. "Go back to you homes, there's nothing more to see. Go!" The crowd began to disperse, all except for the Sheikah.

"Camilla, can you take Link back to the castle?" the Protector asked. Camilla nodded. As if in a dream, Link allowed himself to be steered away from the scene, too stunned to do anything else.

* * *

><p>A breeze stirred Saria from sleep. She opened her eyes and sat up with a shiver. The wind felt evil to her. <em>Oh no,<em> she thought. She slid out of her bed and left her house, looking around. Her ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps. She hid. A tall, cloaked figure walked through the village, carrying only a bag. He had come from one of the lesser used houses, the house where Saria had kept the Spiritual Stones. She quietly began to move toward him, wanting to know what he had in his bag.

She stepped on a twig and it snapped. The figure whipped around, drawing a sword. He spotted Saria. Without warning, the Sage transformed into a glowing green orb, and flew at the man. He raised his sword and managed to make contact with the green light. Saria went back to her normal Kokiri look, and landed hard on the ground with a cry. Her arm had been scraped. She looked up at the man and saw his eyes glinting underneath the hood. He raised his sword, ready to strike.

"Get away from her!"

The man flinched and ran off toward Hyrule Field. Mido came into view, as well as a few other Kokiri. "Saria, what happened?" one of the Kokiri asked.

Saria shook her head and pulled herself to her feet. "That man stole something," she said, stumbling toward the house where the Spiritual stones were kept. When she reached the doorway, she felt any hope that the man was just passing through leave her.

The chest in which the stones were kept was open…and empty. She called out to her fellow sages in the hope that they would hear. _Hyrule is in danger! The Triforce is vulnerable!_

No answer came.

She sighed. She had wanted spice in her life and she got it.

* * *

><p>Link woke early. For a moment, he tried to recall why he had the bad feeling in his heart, then he remembered the previous day's events.<p>

He lay in bed for a few minutes. His cousin was only a year older than he, and had barely ruled on the throne for half a year. Leroy's parents, the former king and queen, had died from the same illness that had killed Link's mother.

A thought occurred to him. Was his father now both Protector and King?

He didn't know, but he knew now that he had to learn how to fight. He got out of bed and changed into his favorite tunic: the green one that he thought of as similar to the one he was named after wore.

Leaving his room, he went down to the courtyard, where he saw his father and Camilla talking. Zelda was lying on the grass nearby, watching the clouds. She gave him a smile of greeting.

"Father…could you teach me how to fight?"

Conrad looked at him. "Now?"

"Yes. I want to learn."

Conrad nodded. "Yes, Link."

Within ten minutes, Link's lesson was underway. Zelda and Camilla were off to the side, watching.

Link found himself struggling to wield the sword. As he tried to perform a move, the sword slipped from his hand, thudding onto the grass. He stared at it for a moment before sighing.

"What hand do you write with?" Conrad asked.

"My right," Link replied. "That's the same hand I'm using for the sword as well."

"Try switching to your left hand."

Link looked at his father for a second, then did as he was told. He picked up his sword and switched hands.

Immediately the results were better.

"I think you're a left-handed swordsman, Link." Conrad nodded with approval. "You have a natural talent with the sword."

Once again, Link was struck with how similar he was to the legendary Hero of Time.

And so the lesson continued.

By the time it was over, the sun was high in the sky.

"Alright," Conrad said. "I think that's enough for today."

"Thank the goddesses," Link muttered. He sheathed the sword he was using. He wiped his brow. Sword fighting was hard work.

"You did well today," Conrad continued as Link handed him the sword. "I've never seen anyone so good at the sword on the first day."

"I'm not that good at it," Link said modestly.

Conrad laughed. "Whatever you say, Link."

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><p>Evening found Link in the town, talking with Zelda. The two had become fast friends. They were walking through the town when Link stopped suddenly. The back of his left hand began to burn.<p>

"What is it, Link?" Zelda asked.

Link didn't answer. He saw a shadow of the Triforce on the back of his hand. He looked toward the Temple of Time. Suddenly, there were shouts, and screams. He knew what was happening. A pull formed inside his chest. And he instantly knew it meant one thing.

The Triforce was in danger.

He took off running, and as he did, he saw his father bolting into the Temple of Time. Link sped up.

By the time he reached the Temple of Time he saw that his father was dueling a man wearing a dark cape. There was a big difference though.

The Door of Time was open. On the floor lay an Ocarina, and floating on an altar in front of the Door of Time were three different colored stones. At the very back of the building, now revealed to all, was a portal to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce could be seen shining within it.

The burning sensation on Link's hand grew and the pull in his chest intensified. And it was these few moments that would haunt Link's dreams for the rest of his life.

The intruder lunged with his sword...

...and stabbed the Protector.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Here we are! Chapter four! Sorry for the cliffhanger last time but I couldn't resist. Please, tell me what you think in a review! I'm dying to know what people think of this crazy story! ^_^ Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

For a moment, Link stood frozen with shock. Time seemed so slow as the intruder turned toward the entrance to the Sacred Realm, as Conrad fell.

"Father!" Link shouted, breaking free of his stupor. He knelt down next to his father.

"Link...you are the Protector...and...the king...save Hyrule."

"Father," Link cried. "Please! I don't know what to do!"

"The Sage of the Forest...find the sage...Kokiri Forest. You must save Hyrule! GO!" With that word, Conrad passed his sword to Link, folding his son's hand around the hilt of the sword. "Go, my son, do not waver in your destiny." And with those words, Conrad closed his eyes, his hand dropping from the sword, breathing his last.

The doors to the temple burst open. Link stood and turned, raising the sword. But there was no need to fight. A few Sheikah, including Camilla, stood in the entrance. Camilla took everything in with a shocked expression.

Tears streaming down his face, Link ran out of the temple, barely glancing at the Sheikah. _Where's the Kokiri Forest?_ he wondered as he dodged several large skeleton warriors that seemed to have overrun the town since he had gone into the Temple of Time in the first place. But he made it safely out of town.

As he ran across the drawbridge, an immense pain on the back of his hand brought him to his knees. There was a Triforce symbol on the back of his hand, and it glowed brightly, the bottom right glowing brighter than the rest. His eyes widened. It was just like what happened to the Hero of Time. He, too, had possessed the Triforce of Courage. But it wasn't that that surprised him. It was the fact that the Triforce, which his forefathers had protected, was no longer in the Sacred Realm.

He looked up, tears still streaming down his face. Right now, it felt as if he had no courage to go on.

"Link?"

Link looked around. Zelda stood over him. She had scratches on her face, her hand gripping the hilt of a sheathed dagger. "Link, you are hurt?"

Link shook his head no. He couldn't find the words. After a few deep breaths, he stood, grasping his father's sword tight. "I need to get to the Kokiri Forest. But I don't know where it is."

"I know where to find the entrance. Shall I show you?" Zelda suggested.

"Please."

Zelda nodded. "This way," she said, starting out towards the south. Link followed her.

The Sheikah glanced at him. "I am sorry, Link, about your father."

Link looked away, the tears still rolling down his cheeks.

For a long while, they walked in silence. Then they came upon a small stand of trees. Zelda stopped and motioned toward the center of the trees. "Here. This is the way into the forest."

Link peered into the trees and saw an entrance into another, deeper forest. The Triforce on his hand tingled, reminding him of his duty. He glanced at his companion. "Where's your mother, Zelda?"

"She and the other Sheikah are trying to force the skeletons out of the town or to kill them. She told me to get out of the town so I wouldn't get killed. I'm not a fully trained Sheikah warrior, so I would not have lasted very long in battle." She looked at him. "You are going in, are you not?"

"I...I'm afraid to go alone."

"Then I shall come." She smiled and started forward. Link watched her for a moment and then hurried after her.

They entered a mysterious forest. Fairies flew through the air. Before them was a bridge made from wood and ropes. Link and Zelda stopped, looking around with curiosity. Link forgot for a moment the troubles he had left behind in the world outside this dense forest.

"Who goes there?"

The voice echoed through the quiet grove. A mere boy dressed in green walked up to them, eying them suspiciously. "No one is allowed in the Kokiri Forest, by order of the Sage of the Forest."

"That's who we need to see!" Link exclaimed. Perhaps this job would be easier than he thought it would be.

"State your names, and I will see if you are good enough to meet with the Sage."

Link and Zelda exchanged a glance. Zelda spoke up first. "I am Zelda-Aurea, daughter of Camilla and Vorges of the Sheikah Tribe."

The boy looked at her. "A Sheikah?" Zelda nodded. "Very well, and you?" The Kokiri turned to Link.

Link swallowed. "I am Link, the Protector and the un-crowned king of Hyrule."

The Kokiri stared wide-eyed at him. He looked around and motioned. "Come, quickly." He led them into a forest village. Many of the Kokiri looked at them, whispering to each other. Link tried to ignore the stares. He felt out of place because all of the Kokiri were children.

"Wait here," the Kokiri he and Zelda were following ordered as they stopped near one of the many houses. The Kokiri went in, but came out a second later, looking perplexed.

"You looking for Saria, Mido?" one of the Kokiri asked as she passed the house carrying a basket of fruit.

"Yeah, where is she?" Mido replied.

"Said something about the Forest Temple," the other Kokiri said. Mido sighed and muttered something. He motioned to Link and Zelda to follow, then led them off. "Listen, you have to stick close," he said as they entered an even darker forest. "People get lost in here and never come back. They say they turn into monsters."

Link and Zelda exchanged a fearful glance. "You're taking us to find the sage?" Link asked.

"Yes. She's deep in the Lost Woods."

They walked in silence, wining their way through the trees. Mido was obviously very confident in where he was going, and soon they arrived at what looked like a maze made out of hedges which they entered without hesitation and began to navigate through.

After a few moments of winding through hedges and climbing some stairs, they reached an old building. The entrance was high above the ground, and there was no way to get up to it, save for a tree that had only one branch above the entrance.

Link looked around. He saw no sage, only another raised platform, similar to the one in the Temple of Time. He did hear music though, coming from the Forest Temple.

"Saria!" Mido called. "Hey, Saria!"

The music stopped. For a moment there was silence. Then a girl with a bandaged arm walked out of the entrance to the temple, immediately spotting Link and Zelda. She jumped down from the entrance, using the tree to slow her decent some and landed on the grass.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Mido said.

"Yeah...sorry," the girl replied. "I only told one person I was heading out here." Then she turned her attention to the others. Her eyes widened at the sight of Link. "I am Saria, the Sage of Forest. And who are you, warrior? You remind me of a friend from long ago."

"I'm Link," Link replied. He noticed a quick look of shock on the Sage's face. Then she nodded. "No wonder." She sighed. "You remind me of Link, the Hero of Time. I knew him long ago, when he was just a boy growing up here in the Kokiri Forest."

"If you do not mind me asking," Zelda spoke up, "how could you have known him?"

"We Kokiri are immortal." That was all the sage said. "Let us go back to the village, and you can tell me why you have come." She began walking away from the temple.

* * *

><p>Saria shook her head sadly. It was just her, Link, and Zelda in the sage's house, sitting around a wooden table made from a tree stump. Link and Zelda had just finished telling her of what had happened at the Castle Town in the past two days. The sun had set and crickets chirped loudly outside the cozy building.<p>

"I feel it's partially my fault. That man you described, he came here and stole those gems: the Spiritual Stones. I saw him and I should have stopped him...or rather tried harder to stop him. My question is, why did you not stop him if you are the Protector?"

Link looked away. "There's nothing more to protect." He laid his left hand on the table, showing off the Triforce symbol. "It's Courage," he said.

"So the Triforce has been split once more," Saria said softly. "That must mean that that man may have gotten Power. And if he did, where could Wisdom ended up?"

"I do not think you have to search far for Wisdom," Zelda said. "I have it." she pulled off her right-hand glove and showed them. True to her word, she did have a Triforce on her hand.

Saria was surprised, but she didn't show it. She thought hard. This Link was so similar to the Link she has once known. Would he...?

"What do you know of sword fighting, Link?" she asked.

"A little bit," Link replied. "Why?"

"You're going to have to fight. You said that your father told you to save Hyrule. But that's not just why I was asking. Are you left-handed?"

"For the sword, yes," Link answered.

"You may be the one."

"The one what?"

"There is a saying amongst us Kokiri, and I believe the Gorons have one similar to it, that says that history always repeats itself. I never really believed this until now. The Triforce is split into three pieces, Hyrule is on the brink of danger, you are a left-handed swordsman and bear the Triforce of Courage. It all happened before. You may be the one who can wield the Master Sword and vanquish this new tyrant. You could be...the next Hero of Time."

"That can't be true. I don't even like to fight!"

"But you fight because you want to save your people and your kingdom. I can see it in you: you will do whatever it takes to save Hyrule, even if that means going against your highest standards and wielding a sword." Saria looked at Link closely. "You seem hesitant though."

Link sighed. "This Triforce is supposed to give me courage, but I find myself afraid to do what I must."

"Which is why you have Zelda here to help, and, of course, I will help you as well, as best I can while still keeping the forest protected. I cannot leave for very long in these darkening times. But then again, it's been such a long time since I did anything really adventurous."

"You have my support, Link," Zelda said. I will go with you to whatever end this journey shall take us."

Link took a shaky breath. Then he nodded. "What's the first step towards saving Hyrule?"

"The Master Sword. I know where Link left it. It may be a long journey to get there, but we will be able to do it. We can leave in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Link stepped out into the early morning light. The sun had not yet risen over the tops of the trees, and there was no one else awake. But Link couldn't sleep any longer. It wasn't excitement of a grand adventure. No, it was the anxiety of his destiny weighing down on him and the dark dreams that had haunted what little sleep he did get.

He yawned and shivered. The air had a chill to it.

A soft tune reached his ears and he looked around for the source. He stared forward, curious to see who was playing the music.

It was Saria. She was perched on top of her house once more playing her Ocarina, her eyes closed in total focus. But she had obviously heard him. Her eyes opened and she stopped playing. "You're awake early," she said. Link shrugged.

"What was that song called?" he asked.

"Minuet of Forest." The sage jumped down from the roof. "I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"If you could, what would you do instead of fighting?"

Link grinned. "I would settle down underneath my favorite tree in the castle courtyard with a good book and read to my heart's content. I told my father once that I would rather be a scholar than a warrior."

Saria laughed. "It's not bad to be a studious person." She sighed. "So, other than the fact that you look like you're half asleep, are you ready for this adventure today?"

"I guess," Link replied.

"Good. As soon as Zelda wakes up we'll head out. The sooner we get you to the Master Sword the better."

And so a few hours later, the trio set off. Saria led the way, followed closely by Zelda. Link brought up the rear, still hesitant about his destiny.

"I hope you guys don't mind getting your feet wet," Saria said, entering a tunnel. Link soon found out why: the floor of the tunnel was covered in a few inches of water, nearly reaching the top of his boots. But he kept going. The water level rose, but light was seen ahead, blocked by vines.

Saria pulled the vines aside, revealing a quaint little town.

"Where is this?" Zelda asked, stepping onto the bank of the creek that divided the town.

"Ordon Village, in the Province of Ordona of New Hyrule." Saria led them up the bank. One of the villagers spotted them.

"Hello, Saria!" he called, coming over.

"Hi, Cornon," Saria replied with a smile. "How are you?"

"Just fine. And you? What've you been up to?"

"Not much. At least not recently."

"Ah, yes." The man paused, stroking his short beard. "I heard of some big attack on the Old Hyrule Castle Town. Also heard the king's done been killed."

"It's all true I'm afraid. But there is a spark of hope," Saria said, glancing at Link.

"What's that?" Cornon asked. "You mean these young fellers you be bringing through here?"

"Yes. I trust the gate into Faron Woods is open?"

"No, sorry. Locked it up last night 'cause I was worried the village would be attacked. But I don't mind unlocking it for you."

"Thank you, that would be very appreciated."

"Well, let me go fetch the key." Cornan turned and started walking towards one of the larger houses. He returned a few moments later and motioned for Saria and the rest to follow.

"Now where are you headed?" Cornan asked as they left the village. Saria explained a little of it. The villager listened. "Deep Faron, eh? Gotta be careful."

Link looked around as they walked along. They walked by a large tree, in which there was a tree house. A few moments later, they walked by a shallow spring. Link slowed and looked at it. The spring seemed to glow. And, what was most curious was a swirling black and green vortex in the sky above the spring.

"Are you coming?" Zelda called.

"Yeah," Link replied, hurrying to catch up with the others, who had stopped at a gate. Cornan unlocked it, and it gave a click and creaked open. "There you go. I'm gonna lock it again, but you send that fairy of yours to me when you want to get back in, ok?"

"Sure thing," Saria said. "Thank you!"

"Of course! Now you be careful!"

"We will."

Once again, the trio was on their way.

It was a long arduous journey filled with dangers. But the dangers were not enemies. They had to traverse cliff sides where one bad step could lead to death, and poisonous fog.

But finally, after hours, they reached what Saria called the Sacred Grove. It was a very quiet place. Only the birds and the wind through the trees could be heard. But Link could tell that it was very special.

As they started to cross what looked to be a courtyard with a golden Triforce embedded in the middle, a deep laugh sounded. Suddenly, out of nowhere, several giant skeleton warriors appeared, each brandishing a jagged and rusty sword.

"The sword, Link! Go get the sword!" Zelda called as she whipped out a few throwing daggers.

"We'll hold them off!" Saria added. Link took off at a run towards where he knew the Master Sword would be.

"Get the boy!" one of the skeletal warriors shouted in a raspy voice. "He's the one, get him!"

The other monsters charged, shoving Saria and Zelda aside, following Link up a set of stairs. Link stumbled a bit, but he saw it: the blade of evil's bane, shining bright.

He was about to reach the sword when he was shoved forward by one of the monsters, losing his grip on his father's sword, which clattered out of reach. Link turned and rolled to the side as the jagged sword came down on the ground. Link scrambled up and reached for the Master Sword.

Just as the monster brought his blade down once more, Link yanked the Master Sword from the pedestal and blocked. He shoved back and ran the blade through his enemy. The skeleton let out a horrid screech and fell, defeated. Another took his place. And in that moment of time, Link saw that the other two were being taken care of by Saria and Zelda.

Within moments, all three monsters were dead. Link stared wide eyed at the dead forms of the monsters, then at the blade he was holding. A flash of light went up the blade and it seemed to shimmer more. Saria watched Link as he lifted the tip so that it was pointing skyward. Then she smiled. "Well, I guess we have a new hero."

"But I haven't done anything," Link said, his eyes still locked on the blade.

"Anyone who was able to wield that sword for more than a minute, as you just proved, has been called "Hero," or "Heroine." And it chose you to be its master. You truly are a Hero."

Link looked away from the blade, his gaze focusing on Saria and Zelda. Zelda was watching him carefully. Her bangs had fallen across her eyes, and she brushed them away casually, giving him a soft smile. Saria was grinning and he could see that she was proud of him.

"Well," the sage said. "Shall we go back to Kokiri?"

Link looked once more at the blade and nodded. "Yes. Lets."

* * *

><p>"Alright, here's where you need to go," Saria said, unfurling a map across her wooden table in her house. They were back in the small forest village, gathered once more in the sage's house.<p>

"Wait, explain to me again why you can't come with us," Link said.

"Yes, please explain," Zelda added.

"Because, with this new tyrant who I know will declare himself king of Hyrule soon if not already, the forest, the realm I have been intrusted to protect, is in danger. I cannot leave, lest I put this place in danger...and not only this place, but my people as well. I have given you a way of contacting me, so you should not have any problems once I tell you where my fellow sages are."

Link sighed. "I understand...it's just..." He trailed off.

Saria looked at him for a moment. Then she nodded, almost to herself before looking down at the map, which showed both Old and New Hyrule and the various connection points between the two. "If I'm correct, the rest of the sages are scattered through all of Hyrule.

"The first one is Rauru, who's a bit...well, let's just say he likes his isolation. He's the only one who prefers to stay in the Chamber of the Sages rather than live life in Hyrule. He could be anywhere, but I would think he is here..." She paused and indicated a spot on the map.

Link looked at it carefully. "And why couldn't we have talked to him when we were there?" he asked, noticing how the spot was inside the Sacred Grove.

"I wasn't sure if he would be there, and besides, I'm not to confident I know the way into the temple. But you could always try the Sacred Realm. That's where the Chamber of Sages is and he should be there. With me so far?" Link nodded, his gaze on the map.

"Ruto, like usual, is probably hiding out in New Hyrule, most likely in the Lakebed Temple, but if not, she's in the Water Temple in Old Hyrule. Both are underwater, so you should talk to the Zora and ask them for aid. I'm sure they could provide you with a way to get to either one without drowning.

"Darunia is definitely in the Fire Temple in Death Mountain of Old Hyrule. But the entrance is in a volcano and the temple itself is so hot it can kill you within three minutes. Once again, I would talk to the Gorons of Death Mountain and ask for aid.

"Impa is probably in the Shadow Temple, which is in the graveyard of Kakariko of Old Hyrule. Getting to the entrance might be tough because it's high above the ground, but I'm sure you can find a way in. If's she's not there, then I would suggest the Arbiter's Grounds in the Gerudo Desert of New Hyrule. I would be careful not to enter the Mirror Chamber, though."

"Mirror Chamber?" Zelda interrupted. "What is that?"

"It is the location on top of the Arbiter's Grounds in which the Mirror of Twilight is kept. The Mirror is an ancient device guarded by sages from when it was first brought into the world long before my friend Link. It is a portal into another world, known as the Twilight Realm, where a race banished from Hyrule dwells. The Twili have been known to assist the Royal Family, but no one has made contact with them in many years." Saria sighed, submerged in memories once more. She shook her head and continued.

"The last sage is Nabooru, who can be found in the Spirit Temple in the Gerudo Desert of Old Hyrule. It is possible to cross from the Gerudo Desert in New Hyrule to the one of Old Hyrule, but I would not recommend it: the journey is long and harsh, and I don't think anyone has crossed as humans..." Saria looked up at Link and Zelda. Perhaps it was too much to put on their shoulders, but then again, Link could wield the Master Sword. That had to count for something.

Link looked up at Saria. "Can I gather the sages in any order, or is there a specific way to find them?"

"Any order. It seems traditional to go from forest to fire to water to shadow to spirit to light, but it doesn't matter really."

Link nodded and once more looked down at the map. Saria continued to speak. "Cornan has promised you both a horse to make your journey easy. I would go to him before you leave. You will get to all the places much faster."

"And when shall we leave?" Zelda asked, directing the question to Link.

Link studied the map, thinking hard. "As soon as possible. We can head to Kakariko and find Darunia and Impa, and then go on from there. And we might also be able to find shelter for the night there."

"Yes, I know we can," Zelda said. "It is my home town. The Sheikah there, including my father, would be more than happy to put us up for as long as we need to be there."

"Good," Link replied, his gaze returning once more to the map as if trying to memorize it.

"Here, you take the map," Saria said. "I doubt you will find one on your journeys with both Old and New Hyrule on it."

"Thank you. That's very helpful," Link replied.

And so, within half an hour, Link and Zelda, on their horses Cornan had so kindly given them left the Kokiri Forest, traveling north toward the Sheikah town of Kakariko.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Sorry if it's confusing that I have OOT and TP Hyrules together like this. So, thanks to RheaTheWingedWhiteWolf for the great review for the previous chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review. *Puppy dog eyes* Please?<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: So here we are with chapter six and some dungeon crawling. Thanks to Ribke D'Crazy for the great reveiw on the last chapter._

**_Enjoy and please reveiw! _**_~TwiliRupee_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

The sun was setting low on the horizon by the time they arrived at Kakariko. As they led the horses into the village, there was a flash of light, and several warriors jumped out at them, their swords like fire in the setting sun. Link reacted instinctively, drawing the Master Sword, but he was confused. These didn't look like the enemies the new tyrant would use. The warriors charged, brandishing their swords fiercely. Link raised his sword, ready to block.

"STOP! Stop right now!"

Everyone froze. A Sheikah ran up, standing in between Link and Zelda and the warriors, spreading his arms out to each side as if trying to protect Link and Zelda. Zelda gasped, recognizing the Sheikah, who's glare was making the warriors shrink back in fear.

"Enough!" he said. "Can you not see these are friends, allies? And you would attack my own daughter! How dare you! You do not even deserve to be called Sheikah!"

"Vorges, we are only trying to protect our village!" one of the other Sheikah said. "And are you sure this girl is one of us? They both could be spies of Vidoreh."

"You know better than to say that, Seisyll!" Vorges defended. "He is not that powerful."

"Yet," Seisyll said. "I fear for my family and I don't want them to be attacked by that villain."

Vorges sighed. "Enough. Away with you! All of you."

The Sheikah warriors mumbled something and shuffled off, sheathing their swords. Link still was stunned as Vorges turned to them, smiling at Zelda. "Papa!" Zelda exclaimed happily, hugging her father.

"My dear, I am so glad you are safe. Your mother told me you were with a young man named Link." Vorges looked at Link, who had sheathed his sword. "I am assuming this is he."

"Yes," Zelda said, letting go of her father. "This is Link."

Vorges nodded a greeting before Zelda spoke up again. "Papa, Mama is here?"

"Yes, she and the others arrived yesterday." Vorges motioned. "Come, both of you. You look like you need something to eat."

Both Link and Zelda nodded and followed the Sheikah, leading their horses along.

* * *

><p>Camilla set four bowls of steaming soup on the table in the middle of the room and sat down, looking at each person at the table with her. "You say they tried to attack them?" she asked Vorges as Link and Zelda began to eat.<p>

"Yes," Vorges replied. "They thought they were Vidoreh's spies."

Link looked up from his soup. "Vidoreh?"

"The tyrant. The one you must fight; the one who has the Triforce of Power." Camilla had been informed immediately of Link's destiny and she, like all those who found out, believed that he could defeat the villain and restore peace to Hyrule.

Link sighed and continued eating. Camilla looked at him. The boy had changed in the few days since his father had been killed. He seemed older, and more sad...as if he carried an invisible weight on his shoulders. Her heart went out to the boy. "What is it that you need to do to save Hyrule?" she asked.

"Find the sages," Link answered, barely glancing up from his meal.

"We originally came here to look for Daruina, the Fire Sage, and Impa, the Shadow Sage," Zelda explained. "We were told that they would be near Kakariko."

"I am afraid Impa is not in the Shadow Temple," Vorges said. "Since she is a Sheikah, she had told our people where she would be just in case any should come looking for her: the Arbiter's Grounds."

"So then all we have to do here is talk to the Gorons and find Darunia," Link said.

"In the morning," Camilla said. "You should rest first. From what I heard, the Fire Temple is no easy feat. The heat alone, even with a Goron Tunic to protect you, is almost unbearable. Lava flows actively through the rooms. And, because of Vidoreh's growing power, they say the ghost of a dragon long dead resides inside, able and ready to kill any who enter its chamber."

Link stared at her with fearful eyes, speechless.

"Cami, do not scare the boy," Vorges said.

"I am only warning him," Camilla replied, crossing her arms. "That place is dangerous."

Link looked down at his soup again, suddenly feeling all his appetite vanish. There was a tingle on his left hand and he felt the Triforce glow ever so slightly. He sighed again.

"Mama, we do not care how dangerous it is," Zelda said. "We are both willing to do whatever it takes to save Hyrule."

Before anyone could respond, the door to the house burst open. Another Sheikah entered, looking frazzled and agitated. "Vorges," he said desperately. "Vidoreh has taken the New Hyrule Castle. He has declared himself king and will kill anyone trying to oppose him."

There was a stunned silence.

"Thank you Sakti," Vorges replied. The Sheikah nodded and left, shutting the door behind him, enveloping the house in silence once more. Link felt the Triforce glowing harder, and a courage filled him. He knew what he had to do. He stood. "I'm going. Now." He grabbed the Master Sword and started to the door.

Zelda stood and hurried after him. "I am coming as well. I promised you I would help and help I will."

Link nodded, glad for the company.

Both Vorges and Camilla jumped to their feet.

"We are going," Zelda said firmly. Link nodded and the Triforce on his hand glowed even more.

Camilla closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She opened her eyes again. "Just be very careful," she said.

"We will, Mama," Zelda replied. Together, with Link, they left the house. It was dark now. The stopped, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. Link put on his sword belt.

"Your hand is like a lantern," Zelda commented. Link glanced down at his left hand. Zelda was right. The Triforce glowed so much that it was throwing light everywhere his hand faced.

"Are you ready?" Link asked.

"Yes, I am," Zelda replied. They started forward toward Death Mountain and began the climb to the Goron City.

When they finally reached it, one of the Gorons who was lying on the rocky ground just next to the entrance in a ball sat up. "Oh? Visitors? This late?"

"We need to talk to your chief," Zelda said. "It is of an important matter."

"Of course," the Goron replied, getting to his feet. "This way." He led them down the several levels of the city and toward a doorway. "Big Brother!" the Goron called, stopping at the doorway. "Big Brother, there are visitors!"

"Send them in!" came the gruff reply. The Goron motioned for Link and Zelda to enter. They did so, and saw burly Goron in the room, looking as if he was in a bad mood. "I am Daragh, the Goron Elder. What can I do for you young ones?"

Link took a deep breath. "My name is Link. I am the Protector and...the newest Hero of Time. My companion is Zelda of the Sheikah Tribe."

"Interesting..." Daragh said. "You come to seek Darunia, have you not?" Link nodded. "Cor!"

Another Goron entered the room. "Yes, Big Brother?"

"Would you fetch two red tunics for these warriors?"

"Certainly."

"I shall lead you to the entrance of the temple, but from there you must go alone," Daragh said once the Goron left. "The part of the temple you must go through does not have as much lava or fire, but the heat is still intense."

Cor returned with two red tunics. He quickly handed the tunics to Link and Zelda and left. Daragh noticed Link's expression. "Don't worry, Brother, these tunics have magical properties to them. When you put them on, you are protected from all manner of heat. You will be able to withstand the high temperatures in both the temple and volcano. Just slip them over what you are wearing now."

The elder waited until they were ready before leading them into the volcano.

"Now, listen young ones," the Goron said as they entered the volcano. Link could feel the intense heat, but it did not affect him. "To get to Darunia, you must only go through two rooms: the main entrance, and then a room directly next to it before you come to Darunia's room. Once you enter the temple, go up the set of stairs and enter the left hand door. In the next room, jump straight across the lava to the big door you will see. That's the door that will lead you to Darunia."

"It sounds simple," Link commented.

"It is, but you must take care anyway." They stopped next to what looked like a well with a ladder. "Here you are," Daragh said. "The entrance is just down the ladder."

"Thank you for your help," Link said.

"Anything to help the Heroes who shall rescue Hyrule!" Daragh said proudly. "Now, waste no time and save Hyrule!" He gave Link such a strong pat on the back that the Hero's knee's buckled slightly, nearly making him fall to the ground.

Link started down the ladder, and Zelda followed him. They entered the temple, stopping to look around the room.

"This place is a little scary," Zelda said. Link shrugged and started forward, following Daragh's instructions. They climbed the stairs and entered the left hand door. This room's floor was covered in lava, but it had several pillars that stuck straight up. Across the room was the big door. They would have to jump across the lava via a pillar to get to the other side. Zelda hesitated as she peered over the edge. "I...do not like this...at all."

"How's this?" Link asked. "I jump across and then you jump and I catch you?"

Zelda sighed. "Fine." Link grinned and took a running start, jumping across the lava and onto pillar. Zelda hesitated, but followed him. She did not jump as far and nearly landed on the edge if Link hadn't grabbed her as she squealed, realizing just how close she was to falling into the lava. She was shaking as she moved to the center of the platform.

"You alright?" Link asked, putting a hand out to steady her. Zelda nodded, still shaking. She took several deep breaths before she stopped shaking. "Let's go," she said. Link nodded and jumped across to the other side next to the big door. "Big running start this time," he said, turning. Zelda nodded and backed up to the edge of the platform before running and jumping, this time landing not so near the edge. They both turned and faced the big door. "Ready?" Link asked.

"Yes. I am." Together they opened the door.

This room was also filled with lava, but it had two platforms, a large, hexagonal one with holes of boiling lava, and another in between this one and where they were standing. In the middle of the hexagonal platform floated a red orb of light. Darunia.

Before either could make a move, there was a loud screech and a shadow rose from the lava...a smoky shadow of a dragon. It was the very same dragon Camilla had warned them about.

Its beady red eyes glared at them for a moment before lunging at Zelda with one of it's skinny arms and pressed her against the wall with a roar.

Link drew the Master Sword and swung at the monster's arm, expecting it to go right through.

But it didn't. The sword made contact and the monster let out a scream, letting Zelda go.

"You alright?" Link asked as the monster continued to flail over it's injured arm.

"Yes, thank you," Zelda said breathlessly. Link helped her to her feet and they faced the monster once more. The dragon lunged again with his other arm, this time at Link. But Link was ready. He pointed the sword forward and set his feet. The monster's hand went straight onto the sword and it screeched even louder. The sword was wrenched from Link's grip, but it slid from the monster's wound. Link snatched it up and watched the monster.

"I see and opening to cross!" he shouted. He took Zelda's hand and they jumped across to the large hexagonal platform. But they did not get far. The dragon smashed down on the platform, enraged at them and blocking them from Darunia. Link knew that if he touched the orb the sage would awaken. But that was impossible with this dragon in the way. Zelda drew a throwing dagger and tossed it at the dragon, hitting it in the neck. It screeched but stayed put. Link jumped at it with a swipe of his sword, vaulting over it. He reached out and touched the glowing red orb that was the Sage of Fire.

The orb glowed brighter and then took off, swirling around the ghostly dragon. It screeched and dissipated into the shimmering air.

_I thank you, Brother, _came a rich, deep voice. Link looked around. The Sage was talking to him floating as an orb a few feet above the ground. _You have begun to prove yourself as the Hero of Time. But it will take more._

Link nodded, unsure of what this meant.

_Hero,_ the sage continued. There was a flash of light in front of the glowing orb. _Take this medallion. It is different from the one I gave Link those many years ago._ The light dimmed as a silver medallion floated in midair. One side had a Triforce embossed on it. The other had a circle of six gems. Four of the six were a dull gray. But two glowed fiercely, one red, one green. Link took it, examining it closely. The sage continued. _This is the only one you will receive, but it functions the same way as the six medallions given to Link. The red gem is a sign that I will lend you my power when the time comes for you to fight._ The orb glowed fiercer, and light surrounded Link and Zelda.

_Go, my brother and sister, go and save Hyrule..._

As the light died down, Link saw that they were no longer in the Fire Temple. They were at the base of Death Mountain near the entrance to Kakariko. It was morning time. Link looked at Zelda. "That wasn't so hard," he said.

Zelda rolled her eyes before giving a short laugh. "I was really scared. That dragon...whatever it was..."

"It's gone, Zelda," Link interrupted. "Come on." He started forward into Kakariko. Zelda followed.

Upon entering the village, Link saw Vorges waiting by his house. He saw them and his face lit. "Cami, they're back!" he shouted, running forward. Camilla burst out of the house and reached them before her husband.

"Oh, thank the goddesses your are safe," she said, embracing them both. "I was so worried."

"Mama..." Zelda protested, her voice muffled. Camilla let them go.

"I was so afraid that dragon would get you," she said.

"It almost did," Link said.

"I do not want to hear the story now..." Vorges said reluctantly

"But we found Darunia and he's gonna help out when the time comes."

Both Vorges and Camilla nodded, seeming too relieved to speak. But Camilla smiled sadly. "You truly are your father's son," she said. Link's breath caught and he looked away. The image of his Vidoreh stabbing his father flashed before his eyes.

He would get back at that man for what he did.

He just hoped he would be ready.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: I apologize for the late update, but was really busy yesterday...busy and distracted by my newest fandom... Anyway, thanks once again to Ribke D'Crazy for another great review! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It's a really long one! Please, tell me what you think in a review!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

The girl looked around the large entrance hall, stunned. This place was huge. But she hadn't come for site seeing. She brushed her orange hair from her orange eyes and warped to the antechamber of the throne room. Once her bare feet touched floor again, she started forward. She entered the great throne room, even more stunned at it's size. But she didn't stop walking until she reached the middle. Bowing deeply to the man on the throne, she spoke. "My lord, you sent for me?"

"I did, Kaldari. I have become aware of a threat to my kingdom and my reign. I will not tolerate rebellion among my subjects, nor will I suffer the fools who try to do so."

"What would you like me to do, my lord?" Kaldari asked, looking up at the man.

"Extinguish this threat."

"Where, my lord, shall I find the threat?"

"A trustful source in Kakariko Village tells me that this boy is heading towards the Spirit Temple to awaken the Sage of Spirit. Stop him and his friend before they do so."

"But...if he is just a boy..."

The man stood fiercely. Kaldari bit her tongue. She shouldn't have spoken. The man walked toward her. "This boy is claimed to be the second Hero of Time. Both Sages he has found seem to support him. In fact, many support him. They find him inspiring. If he gets too powerful, he could pose a threat to me and to you in your soon to be queen state." The man stopped in front of her.

Kaldari was surprised. This man was promising her a kingdom she had never thought she would have.

"I have changed my mind, Kaldari. Kill the girl he travels with. I want you to bring me the boy...but make sure he is disarmed and harmless. I will kill him myself and make a showing to all exactly what happens when they oppose my reign. And in return for this small favor I ask of you, I will give you your kingdom."

"My sister stands in the way of that, my lord."

"Not for long. I will snuff her out, too."

Kaldari thought hard for a moment at these words. Her older sister was the one who had inherited the throne. Princess though she still was, Kaldari was jealous. She had wanted the throne. But did she really want her sister to die...?

Kaldari pushed the thought away. She met the eyes of the man standing in front of her, waiting for an answer. "Your word is my command, Lord Vidoreh!" She bowed again and warped to the entrance of the Spirit Temple. She perched in the shade of the overhanging rock formations and waited.

If there was anything Kaldari, Princess of the Twili, the younger sister of the Twilight Princess, had learned in all her fourteen years of life, it was patience.

Link and Zelda steered their horses across a wooden bridge. The terrain had changed quickly to dusty hard earth. Link sighed. He knew about the Gerudo culture. They didn't like guys. At all. And he would stick out among the Gerudo like a sore thumb.

"Perhaps we should have taken the desert route?" Zelda asked, seeming to sense what he was thinking.

"You heard what Saria said. It's impossible for a human to cross." He sighed. Saria would probably give him some advice. He stopped his horse and pulled out the flute she had given. He put it to his lips and played the song she had taught him. He finished and waited.

_Link?_ The sage's voice echoed through his head.

_Yeah_, Link replied in his mind. Zelda watched him.

_How far have you gotten?_

_We found Darunia. But I have a question._

_What?_

_How do I make sure the Gerudo don't throw me in jail?_

_Just tell them you you are._ Link could hear the laughter in her voice. _Tell them your the official – but uncrowned – king of Hyrule and the Hero of Time and the Protector. And then tell them you seek the Sage of Spirit in order to save all of Hyrule. If that doesn't get them to not throw you in jail, then I may have to come and vouch for you._

_I thought you couldn't leave the forest._

_Only for long periods of time. I can talk some sense into them. Get Zelda to help._

Link sighed. _Fine._

_You can do it. Good luck._

The connection died and Link frowned at the flute. He put it away and spurred his horse into a walk again. Zelda followed suit. Together, they entered the Gerudo Fortress area.

"HALT!" a shrill female voice called without warning. Four Gerudo women, all guards, rushed up to them, their spears pointing at Link and Zelda, who stopped their horses. "Dismount!" one of the guards ordered harshly. "You are intruding on Gerudo territory and are therefore under arrest."

Link and Zelda exchanged a glance before dismounting.

"I am the Hero of Time and the Protector of the Triforce. I request to have an audience with your leader," Link said, stepping forward

The guards merely sneered. "What makes you think we believe you?" one snapped.

"He is telling the truth," Zelda argued.

"Prove it then, Sheikah."

"Isn't the sword enough proof, Rinn?" The voice came from outside the circle. The four guards turned at once and fell to their knees. Link didn't know what to think. There was a Gerudo man walking up to them, a regal look on his face.

"Your majesty, I wanted to be sure..." one of the guards began

The Gerudo man cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Welcome, Hero of Time and young Sheikah, to our humble fortress. I am Naebon, the king of the Gerudo. Tell me, why have you come to this desert of ours?"

"You have heard of Vidoreh?" Link asked.

"Yes," Naebon replied, his expression changing to one of anger. "That fool had the guts to come here and petition for aid. He thought, just because king before me turned into a tyrant who nearly destroyed Hyrule, that I would follow that path and join the side of evil. But of course, before he could get a word in edgewise to me, he was chased out by my guards." The king rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed at the villain's proposal. "Anyway, continue."

Link nodded. "Vidoreh is gaining power as we speak. Already he has declared himself king. It is very urgent that I reach the Spirit Temple and the Sage of Spirit."

"And so you shall. Rinn?"

"Yes, your majesty?" the Gerudo asked from her crouched position on the sandy turf.

"Would you lead the Hero and the Sheikah to the Spirit Temple?"

Rinn looked up. She wanted to protest, but a look from her king stopped her. She bowed her head. "Of course."

"Now," Naebon said, "the journey must be made on foot, for the desert is no place for a horse. You may keep your horses here until you return. I'll have Sasha bring them to the stables." One of the guards stood and took the reins of the horses. "Be careful and good luck."

"Thank you," Link said. Rinn and the other guards stood. "This way," Rinn said. She led them to a gate. "Hey, Cori!" she shouted up at the gate keeper.

"Ya?"

"Open the gate, will you?"

"Sure!"

The gate was slowly opened, and Rinn motioned for Link and Zelda to follow her into the windy desert. "Now listen!" she said loudly over the wail of the wind, which had picked up quite a bit as soon as they left the fortress area. It was still clear, but beyond a certain point, the sand was blinding. "You must stay close to me! If you wander too far away, you will get lost with no hope of rescue! But if you lose your way, always look for the flags!" She pointed to a tall post with a long, red strip of cloth tied to it. "Got it?"

Both Link and Zelda nodded. All three headed into the sandy wind, covering their faces and staying as close to each other as possible.

It seemed to be ages before the wind started to die down. The air cleared and ahead was a mountain. A large statue was carved from the face of the stone.

"That sand storm is probably the worst of it," Rinn said as Link tried to shake what sand he could from his hair.

"Is it always like that?" Zelda asked.

"Ya," Rinn replied, looking up at the mountain. "Now, inside the Desert Colossus is the Spirit Temple. Nabooru should be there. I will wait for you outside the temple so that when you finish, I can lead you back."

"Thank you, Rinn," Link said. He and Zelda exchanged a glance and started forward toward the entrance.

"Link..." Zelda said as they grew nearer. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You do?"

"Yes. I feel like it would be unwise to enter..." Zelda looked around and stopped. Link looked at her.

"We're so close though," he said. "Can you figure out what could happen?"

Zelda closed her eyes, trying to focus on what her Wisdom was telling her. She began to speak in a soft voice, barely a whisper. "History is about to repeat, only this time it is a feud among family, not lovers..." Link listened, trying to put sense to what his friend was saying. It sounded so familiar. Where had he heard a story about two fighting lovers before...? Zelda thought harder. "One serves evil...the other sides with good..."

Zelda opened her eyes with a frown. "Whoever they are, we'll see both soon."

"But that still doesn't answer what could happen," Link said. He glanced back the way they came and saw Rinn sitting by a small oasis, then he looked up at the statue carved into the mountain. He thought he saw a flicker of movement, but when he stared harder. He didn't see anything. "Listen, I don't like this. Something's out there. We should find Nabooru before it gets us."

Zelda nodded. She and Link hurried into the temple.

Immediately, they found out what was bugging Zelda. Before they could cross the foyer of the temple, two large, black pillars appeared out of no where in front of them. A translucent wall spread between them, blocking their path into the temple. Zelda slid to a stop before Link did and started back to the entrance, but that, too, was cut off by two more pillars and a wall. They were trapped.

It would only get worse. Another set of pillars crashed onto the floor, separating Link and Zelda. Link drew his sword. "Show yourself, fiend!" he shouted out to the air. There was an odd noise. He turned and gasped. Standing tall before him was a girl, not much older than he. But she was not like him or Zelda or any other race of Hyrule he had seen. Her long hair was a fiery orange, and her eyes were also orange. And she was tall. The girl narrowed her eyes and spoke in a lilting voice. "So this is the boy I was warned about. You are but a child."

"Well so are you," Link replied. The girl merely laughed. She disappeared and reappeared to his left, this time carrying a dagger in her hand. The dagger glowed orange and black.

"You have a lot of guts for a boy. But only that. I am much more powerful than you...and your little friend over there." She gestured with the dagger, and Link glanced at Zelda. She seemed to be looking around at the walls. But he couldn't wonder why. The mysterious girl had disappeared again, this time reappearing closer to him.

"What are you?" Link asked, taking a few steps back and raising the Master Sword.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," the girl replied. She lifted her dagger and dashed at him. Link blocked her blow and swung back with the Master Sword. But the girl dodged easily, disappearing and reappearing with another swing of her dagger. Link ducked and rolled to the side. He had no idea how to fight someone who could move so fast. The girl came at him again and he blocked and once again attempted to strike.

This continued for a few minutes. As the odd battle went on, the girl became less predictable. Finally, the dagger struck his hand, and the Master Sword went flying. Link backed away, trying to get to the Master Sword. The girl advanced, only to be stopped as a dagger whizzed over her head. She turned and saw Zelda had managed to get to this side. "Climbed the walls, did you, you spider?" the girl demanded. She raised her hand and and instantly more barriers split the arena, separating Zelda from the fight. "Try to climb out of that one!"

By this point, Link had retrieved the Master Sword, but he knew it would do him no good. The girl charged again and managed to get his side with the point of the dagger. Link stumbled and the girl disappeared once more. He had no time to react. There was a tremendous blow on his head as the girl hit him with the hilt of her dagger. He dropped his sword as the world blackened, barely registering Zelda's cry or the sensation of falling to the floor.

The girl looked at what she had done for a moment. "A pitiful opponent," she muttered, before turning her gaze to Zelda.

Before she could make a move, another girl appeared in front of her. She was taller and older, but she looked the same. "Enough, Kaldari," the girl said. "I will not have you making trouble here like you did at home."

"Ah, Midz!" the one called Kaldari said. "I was wondering when you'd show up! But you can't stop me."

"Yes, I can. I seem to recall that I got the bigger share of power, seeing as I am the Twilight Princess."

This comment infuriated Kaldari. She bared her teeth and charged. She didn't get far however. The Twilight Princess lifted her hand, magic surrounding it, and fired what looked like a ball of orange light. It hit Kaldari and sent her flying backwards. Kaldari recovered quickly, but did not attack again. She glared. "This isn't over, dearest sister," she spat before disappearing. The barriers faded to nothing.

Link heard a voice calling his name. His senses slowly came back to him and the first thing he felt was the back of his head throbbing and his side stinging. He forced his eyes open, only to come face to face with Zelda.

Everything rushed back to him and he sat up quickly. He instantly regretted it as his head spun and his vision blurred.

"Easy there, Hero," a lilting voice said. Link looked up and saw who he thought had been the girl who had attacked him. But she was different. Her face was more kind and a dainty tiara rested on her head.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where'd that other girl go?"

"My name is Midori. I am the Twilight Princess, the ruler of the Twili of the Twilight Realm." She sighed. "The one who attacked you was my sister, Kaldari." The Twilight Princess looked away. "She has grown jealous and joined Vidoreh's side in the hopes of taking the Twili throne."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Link, feeling less dizzy, tried to stand. "We should find Nabooru," he said as he got to his feet, picking up the Master Sword. He sheathed it and wavered a bit, but Zelda extended her hand to steady him.

"She has already come and gone, Link," Zelda said. "She promised to help and went off to confer with Saria."

Link nodded, his head spinning again. "Then let's get out of here," he said. "I'm kinda tired of the sand."

"Maybe you should rest," Midori said. Link looked at her, noting the concern in her eyes. "You were hit pretty hard."

"Let's get out of the desert, first, and then maybe I'll rest." He sighed. "I have to stop Vidoreh soon, though...before he destroys Hyrule." His vision blurred again as another wave of dizziness crashed over him. He closed his eyes, hoping to stop it.

"Come on," Zelda said, tugging his sleeve. "Midori, is there a way to get back to the Gerudo Fortress quickly?"

"Yes."

Link let himself be pulled along. His vision kept clouding over, and his movements were stiff. The light of the sun was too bright for him as they stepped outside. "Hey, Rinn!" Zelda called. Rinn looked over and stood. "You weren't in there for very long..." she said. Then she caught sight of Link. "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Just ran into something," Link replied. "But we're done here. Our new friend is going to get us back to the fortress quickly, right?" He looked at Midori, who nodded.

"One second," she said, closing her eyes. Suddenly everything went black, and Link felt the weirdest sensation. For a second, he thought he had fainted. But then everything came back into view.

"WHAT THE-" Rinn exclaimed. Link looked around. They were standing by the gates of the Gerudo Fortress, the blustery desert behind them. Link exchanged a glance with Zelda.

"What was that?" Zelda asked.

"Warping. It's a Twili form of transportation," Midori explained.

"That was weird," Rinn announced. She sighed and stalked toward the fortress.

"Midori, would you consider sticking with us?" Link asked. "We could use your help."

"Of course," Midori said. "Besides, I'm sure you'll see my sister again. I can help you against her." She looked hard at each of them. "Listen. No one has seen a Twili for many years. I would prefer to stay hidden."

"How?" Zelda asked. She glanced at Link, who had closed his eyes again.

"I can hide in shadows. If I hide in yours, no one but you and Link will know I'm there."

Zelda nodded. "That is fine." Midori smiled and disappeared into Zelda's shadow. "If you need me," her lilting voice said. "Just call me."

Zelda nodded and put a hand on Link's shoulder. "Come on."

Link opened his eyes, still dizzy. His head ached even more, and black spots ran across his vision. But he started forward and found that Rinn had fetched their horses for them. "Where's your friend?" she asked as she passed them the reins.

"Hiding," Midori answered without revealing herself.

Rinn jumped. "You two...uh, three take care of yourselves," she said. "And be careful."

"We'll try," Link said with a grin as he mounted his horse. Zelda hopped on hers and they started off at a trot away from the fortress.

"Let's head to Zora's Domain," Link said as he slowed his horse to a walk. "We can find out where to find Ruto."

"Are you up to it?" Zelda asked, turning in her saddle.

"Yeah...yeah, I think so."

Zelda slowed her horse so that she could ride side by side with Link. She didn't like how pale he looked. But she said nothing.

Link let his mind wander. His thoughts drifted back to Camilla. She held a heavy sadness in her heart. He could just see it every time he looked into her eyes. Could it be because she had lost her best friend, his father, to Vidoreh?

Once again the scene of his father's death played through his mind, making him feel numb. Or maybe that was just his headache doing that.

"Link!"

He looked up sharply. "What happened?" he asked.

"I said your name ten times," Zelda said. To Link, her voice sounded distant. She peered at him. "Are you sure you can go on?"

"Yes," Link said, looking down at his horse's neck again. After what seemed like an eternity to him, he felt suddenly exhausted. He closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was sleep. He barely was aware that he was slipping off the saddle, only of Zelda's voice as she swore and grabbed him.

"Midori, help," she said. Link tried to open his eyes, but he was just too tired.

He felt the reins jerked from his hands and another set of hands grabbing him and putting him on the ground. The voices around him were far away.

"He's really hurt."

"I am going to get help. Can you stay and keep him safe?"

"Yes. Go."

There was the sound of thundering hoof beats.

The darkness won and Link heard no more.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: Hi all! I'm late...again. I have my reasons. *Points downward* They're at the bottom of this page, along with an announcement. Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

The world around Link was white. Like clouds. He looked around. Poking out of what he thought were clouds was a tall set of spires of a castle with blue tiles on the roof.

He took a few steps forward. "Where am I?" he asked to no one in particular. "Am I...dead?"

There was a laugh behind him. "No, child." He whipped around. A warrior stood facing him, his armor battered and ancient, a round shield covered in vines was sported on one arm. He was nothing but a skeleton, and his breathing could be heard throughout this sparkling cloudy land. One eye glowed red.

"Who...are you?" Link asked finally.

"I am a Heroes of the past, come to aid you in your fight," the skeletal warrior said. "I am known as the Hero's Shade or the Golden Wolf. And I am the first Hero of Time. I instructed your predecessor in the ways of the Hero. Just as now I cone to teach you those same skills.

"Your enemy is one of ancient times, though he goes by many names. Do not underestimate him, or you will be killed. He is a ruthless and violent man, and he has been causing trouble to Hyrule for many a generation. This is not the first time he has claimed the throne for himself, and it may not bee the last.

"Your efforts in this fight, if successful, will seal him back where he belongs, but for how long, I do not know. But if your predecessors have succeeded in doing so, so shall you.

"So, what say you, Hero? Will you accept my teachings?"'

Link took a deep breath, before nodding. "Yes, teach me."

The Hero's Shade unsheathed his sword. "Show me what you can do," he said, raising his sword and shield.

Link unsheathed the Master Sword, and they approached each other, Link more timidly.

"Go on, make the first move," Hero's Shade said, his echoing voice deep yet encouraging.

Link swung his sword at the skeletal warrior. Hero's Shade blocked and swatted Link down with the flat of his blade. Link looked up at the warrior, stunned and surprised.

"Just as I thought," Hero's Shade said. "You are strong, boy, but, as I told your predecessor, a sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."

Link glared, but kept silent as he stood.

"How much sword instruction have you had?"

"My father taught me the basics..." Link replied.

"Do you know how to fight with a shield?"

"No."

"Well, you're going to need one if you are to learn my lessons." Hero's Shade glanced down at the ground at his feet. Link followed his gaze and saw a Hylian Shield on the ground. With a nod from Hero's Shade, Link picked up the shield and his lessons began.

Once Hero's Shade was confident that Link knew how to use his shield well, the ancient warrior taught him the hidden skills: The Ending Blow, the Shield Attack, the Back Slice, the Helm Splitter, the Mortal Draw, the Jump Strike, and finally, the Great Spin.

By the time Link had gotten the Great Spin down, he was tiring.

"I have two other things I must instruct you on," Hero's Shade said. "The first, is of a secret that few know of. It is called the Triforce Slash, and it is as fatal as the Mortal Draw. The Triforce Slash is a dangerously Powerful move, and it can use up any and all energy you have. It is not to be used carelessly, only in emergencies.

"To use this skill, you must focus all your energy and concentration on that marking there on your hand. The Triforce will capture your enemy and give you an opportunity to get in as many strikes as you can. But, like I said, it is only a final resort, when all else fails."

Link nodded, but he was curious as to what the skill looked like if it was so draining.

"I have a final thing to give you." Hero's Shade gave him a small golden coin. Link looked at it. One side was an impression of a howling wolf, and on the other an impression of a warrior.

"As long as you have that with you, you will be able to transform into a wolf and back. All Protectors have this ability, and each has a special coin like this to assist with the transformation. But our time is up, and I cannot instruct you anymore. You will instinctively know how to fight as a wolf.

"Take courage, child, for the fight as only begun..."

At that moment, a white fog rolled in between Link and Hero's Shade and all went dark...

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><p>Kaldari shook with fear. She had failed her master, and now he was going to reprimand her. She just knew it. She had heard him reprimanding another one of his minions, and he had been very strict, and he had shouted loudly. Now it was her turn to be on the receiving end of that line. She stood at the entrance of the throne room.<p>

"Ah, Kaldari, you're back," Vidoreh said, his dark voice echoing through the large room. Kaldari timidly walked forward, bowing before her master. He eyed her. "So...how did your mission go? Do you have the boy?"

Kaldari swallowed. "About that, my lord..." she began. Instantly, his face changed. A deep, furrowing frown crossed his face. An angry look filled his eyes. Kaldari took a step back. "My lord, I was very close to achieving my goal. I had the boy knocked out and the girl cornered, but something got in the way."

"What, Kaldari, could have possibly gotten in the way?" Vidoreh shouted, standing up. Kaldari backed up some more.

"My sister came. She's left the Twilight Realm to stop me. I am weaker than she and she easily defeated me."

Vidoreh narrowed his eyes before looking out one of the windows. "We will have to get rid of her." His voice was calmer but there was still a hint of anger in his voice. Kaldari trembled. Vidoreh stayed still for a moment. Then he looked at her. "Leave my sight, Kaldari. I will inform you of your next mission later."

"Y-yes, my lord," Kaldari mumbled. She warped away. As soon as her feet touched the cool grass deep in the grounds of the castle, her legs gave way. She trembled with fear.

Her master was scary. But he had promised her the Twili throne!

It was complicated...

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><p>"He's coming around!"<p>

That was the first thing Link heard.

"Finally," another person said. Was that...Saria?

Well there was only one way to find out. He forced his eyes open. He saw a wooden roof above his head. Zelda's worried face came into view. "Do not ever do that again!" she said. "You worried me to no end!"

"Nice to see you, too, Zel," Link replied. Slowly, he pushed himself up, feeling the tight bandages around his middle. He looked around. Saria and who he thought was Nabooru, and Midori were also there, looking concerned. They were in a tree house in Kokiri.

"How long have I been out?" Link asked.

"Just a few hours," Saria said. "Zelda told me what happened with you and Midori's sister. It's very fortunate you survived that."

Link sighed. He felt light headed, but his headache was gone, replaced by a bump on the back of his head. "What's the world without a hero to protect it?" he asked.

Saria and Nabooru laughed. "Link said the same thing!" Nabooru said. "Remember? After he faced Ganondorf the first time?"

Saria nodded with a grin. "And Zelda just laughed. She told him that he was right...and then sent him back in time."

Link grinned, listening to the old friends talking. He looked at Nabooru. He could see was she had looked liked all those years ago, but she had a glowing orange aura around her.

"Nabooru," Link said. "How come you have taken form...but Darunia didn't bother?"

"Darunia's a little on the lazy side," Nabooru said with a laugh. Saria nodded with a laugh.

"We'll let you three be," the Forest Sage said. "Nabooru and I have to catch up."

The two sages left the house. Link rubbed the back of his head, still very sore from his fight with Kaldari.

"Perhaps next time you should heed our advice and rest before traversing across Hyrule field," Midori said, joining Zelda on the edge of the bed.

"The way I see it, it would have happened anyway," Link replied, stifling a yawn. "I wasn't going to stay in the desert, wound or no wound."

Zelda grinned, then noticed the heavy look on Link's face. "You want us to leave so you can get some rest?" she asked. Link shrugged and lay back down, his eyes closing. "Just for a little while..."

Zelda and Midori stood and left. Link's thoughts drifted. He recalled the lessons Hero's Shade had given him. Had that all been a pain-induced dream? Link sighed and sat up. There was only one way to know. He stood and focused. He felt his body changing and before he knew it he was a wolf. He looked at himself. He was a golden color with darker golden paws and legs. The underside of his tail was white, as were the insides of his ears. The tips of his ears were black, and he had markings just under his eyes. A small tuft of fur hung down to just above his eyes, and he had a large black splotch on his back.

He turned back into a human and got back in bed. He grinned. It had been real! He reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin Hero's Shade had given him admiring it. He sighed peacefully. His eyes closed and he drifted off.

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><p><em>Author's note: Ok, so why I'm late with this chapter is because I've been busy and this particular chapter needed some major editing. Hopefully, I didn't make any typos. The editing took longer than I thought it would, so there's my reason.<em>

_Thanks again to Ribke D'Crazy and to Ardikani4 for their great reviews on the previous chapter!_

_And now for my announcement. I am going on vacation. So, the next update will be Wednesday the 22nd. I will see you then! Thanks for reading! ~TwiliRupee_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: Hey all! How've you been? I'm back from vacation and settling back into my normal life once more. Just to let you know, I will return to the normal updating schedule this friday, updating, like usual, on mondays and fridays._

_As always, thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **RheaTheWingedWhiteWolf **and **Ardikani4.**__In response to Rhea's review, this story is supposed to be a mash of both Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. Enjoy chapter nine and thanks for reading! Tell me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

The Castle Town was burning. Everywhere Link looked, there were towering flames and people running and screaming in fright. He thought he saw Zelda and Camilla, but the smoke was too thick. He looked around again. There was nothing but smoke now. Except one tunnel. He took it, running and trying to get out.

The next thing he knew, he was in the Temple of Time. He had drawn his sword and was facing Vidoreh, who stood in between him and the open portal to the Sacred Realm. The Triforce was glowing beyond that. Link raised his sword, determined to put an end to the tyrant, but his feet wouldn't move. In fact, the second he had lifted his sword, his whole body froze. Vidoreh smirked and raised his own sword, ready to run him through. The villain lunged, but suddenly Conrad was there, blocking the black sword's path.

Link tried to shout. But nothing came as Conrad was stabbed with the sword. Vidoreh smirked and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Conrad, still standing, turned to look at him. "My son," he said. "Save Hyrule."

His father's voice echoed through the temple. But it wasn't his voice anymore. The temple was suddenly filled with other people: Saria, Nabooru, Darunia, Zelda, Camilla, Vorges, King Naebon, Rinn, Midori, the Goron elder Daragh, Hero's Shade and countless others he had known in his life. They all spoke the same words: "Save Hyrule." He looked back at his father and found his mother standing beside Conrad. On his other side were his grandmother – the Protector before Conrad – his grandfather, and Leroy. They looked at him sadly.

"Save Hyrule. Save Hyrule!"

Link gasped and sat up, his heart pounding, his face wet with tears. Cool, silvery moonlight fell through the window of the tree house in Kokiri, illuminating the Master Sword and something next to it. He frowned. That hadn't been there before. He swung his feet out of bed and took a closer look. It was a shield. A shield similar to the one the Hero of Time Link had been using, the one he had lent his namesake while Sarah had been teaching the Shield Attack and Helm Splitter. There was something else on the table against which the Master Sword and the shield were leaning. A white something. Link stood and walked over. It was a note sticking out of a book.

Link picked up the book and opened it to where the note was.

_Link,_ began the note in a gentle cursive. _I thought that you might like a shield, so I dug this one up. It's a Hylian Shield, one of the best there ever is. It'll help defend you against any other attacks you might encounter. And, for that scholarly mind of yours, I'm also giving you this book. It's more of a story instead of a history book, but you will find it entertaining nevertheless while you recover from your battle wounds. Enjoy! Nabooru._

Link stared at the note for a moment, then closed the book. He would look at it later. He picked up the shield. It felt just right. He sighed, thinking on his dream. He didn't want to go back to sleep. Not if that dream was going to haunt him. He slung Master Sword across his back, hooked the shield on the convenient hook on the sword strap, and transformed into his wolf form, padding quietly out of the house. He wanted to get the hang of his new shield, and where was a better place to practice this then the small scarecrow warrior the Kokiri had set up for him in his last visit to practice with. It was a simple scarecrow: a vertical pole sticking out of the ground with another horizontal pole lashed to it. A sack had been found and holes had been cut into it like a shirt and put over the two wooden poles. And, as a final touch, one of the Kokiri and painted an ugly monster face on a pumpkin and used that for the head.

Link sat and looked at it, feeling overwhelmed. He gave a small whine of grief. What had his life come down to? Was it all just working towards getting Vidoreh defeated? Would he have no time to grieve over his father's death?

"Link?"

Link sprung to his wolfy paws and whipped around. Saria was standing there, looking at him with curiosity. Link huffed and transformed. "Hi, Saria," he said.

"I didn't know you could do that," she said. Link shrugged. Saria peered at him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah...my headache's gone and my side doesn't hurt at all."

"I wasn't referring to that," Saria said. "Something's bugging you, maybe not physically, but emotionally."

Link hesitated. "Just a bad dream," he muttered. He turned away from her and drew his sword, preforming a perfect Mortal Draw on the scarecrow. A piece of the pumpkin fell off, and seeds leaked out.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Saria asked. Link looked at her then down at the Master Sword which gave a slight shimmer.

"Ever lose someone close to you?" he asked looking up at the moon. "Someone who you loved, but was taken away...?"

"It's your father, isn't it?" Saria asked. Link sighed again, feeling the tears come once more. Saria continued. "I know how that feels, trust me I do. Unlike the other Kokiri, I went out and made friends with the rest of the land because I could. But like the other Kokiri, I live forever. All my friends died. You and Zelda are the first outsiders in possibly a hundred years that I've made friends with. But it doesn't fill the hole. Nothing does, sad as that might seem. But the world goes on while we Kokiri stay as children. I'll never get to see them again because I can't die. Call it the curse of immortality. But you will die. When this war is over, when your time comes, you too will follow the rest of the mortals of this land and you will see them all and be with those who you love." Saria sighed. "It's my greatest wish...to be with the ones I love..."

Link looked at her. "It's still something I have to deal with for the rest of my life, this grief, this pain." The Master Sword reacted to his emotions, giving a shimmer. A flash of light went up the blade. Link raised the sword and shield. Another flash of light went up the blade, getting ready to preform the Jump Strike. He jumped at the scarecrow and swung his sword, slicing the pumpkin in half. Then he thrust his shield forward in a Shield Attack and followed up with the Helm Splitter, slicing the remainder of the pumpkin head as he jumped over it. He did a Great Spin, knocking the scarecrow over, but Link didn't let it alone. He back flipped, the sword pointing downward. He landed a perfect Ending Blow right where the heart would be if the scarecrow had been a real person.

He pulled the sword out of the ground and a third flash of light went up it. He stared at the scarecrow, realizing what he just did. He flopped to the ground, breathing hard. What happened to his scholarly self?

Saria sat next to him. "Felling any better?"

Link shrugged again. "A bit." His head spun some and he blamed his encounter with Kaldari for it.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"I had a vision while I was out. I was taught all that, plus how to be a wolf."

"Who taught you?"

"Hero's Shade..." Saria's eyes widened. "He's entrusted me to save Hyrule," Link continued. "But I don't know if I can handle the fight against Vidoreh. He'll kill me and what would be the point of getting so far when it's all for nothing?"

"What happened to the brave hero talk earlier today?" Saria asked. Link sighed and brushed furiously at a tear that was rolling down his cheek.

"I don't know...I just don't know." He looked at her. She was ready to listen to anything he said. Link pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them.

Saria stood. Link looked up at her and followed her gaze. He saw Zelda watching them. Saria walked over to her and told her something in a quiet voice. Zelda nodded and started toward Link. "Hey, sleepyhead," she said, joining him on the ground.

"Listen, if anyone asks, I'm at the Forest Temple," Saria said. Both Link and Zelda nodded. Link looked at Zelda, listening to the the soft notes of Saria's Ocarina dwindle to nothing as she walked into the Lost Woods. Suddenly his heart began pounding again as Zelda met his gaze, her eyes full of concern.

"Saria says you need a bit of consolation," she stated.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"What is bothering you?"

"My destiny." Link looked away. "That and everything that's happened in the past few days."

Zelda wrapped her arms around him in a silent hug. "Do not be sad, my friend," she said. "It is not all that bad." She let him go and looked deep into his blue eyes. Link couldn't find the words to explain how he was feeling, because it definitely wasn't grief.

She also seemed tongue tied. But she moved her face closer to his. He did so as well. For a brief moment their lips touched and all of Link's worry disappeared into thin air.

Zelda moved away first, the tips of her pointed ears going red. Link looked away, then lay back, gazing up at the stars and the moon. Zelda joined him, moving close to him. Link smiled and closed his eyes and before he knew it, he and Zelda had fallen asleep.

What woke them was not the birds trilling in the sky and trees, nor the sun which had risen above the horizon.

It was a laugh.

Link opened his eyes groggily and saw Midori and several Kokiri staring down at him and Zelda. Midori was laughing. "Had a good night, Link?" she asked teasingly.

Link nudged the sleeping Zelda next to him and sat up rubbing his face. "Not funny, Midori," he said. Zelda yawned and stretched before realizing what was going on. She sat up abruptly and looked around. "Why are you all staring?" she asked with annoyance. "Link here was feeling a little down and I came to comfort him."

"Yeah, but you guys fell asleep," one of the Kokiri boys said with a mischievous grin. He was one of the Know-It-All brothers.

"Yeah, you did," the other Know-It-All agreed with a nod.

Link stood, feeling stiff from spending half the night on the ground. He looked at the scarecrow. The pumpkin was completely decimated. The largest hunk was smashed and the seeds were scattered everywhere.

"Were you pretending that was Vidoreh?" Midori asked, observing the mess.

"No, I was just taking my anger out on it."

"Oooo!" all the Kokiri said. "What'd you do to it?"

Link grinned and picked up the Master Sword, showing the Kokiri what he did. They were riveted the entire time.

"I wish I was like you!" one shouted as he finished. A chorus of "me too" rang out. Link and Zelda laughed, and Midori rolled her eyes. She wanted to get out of the forest. It wasn't that she didn't like it, she just felt like a giant. Everyone, except for maybe Link, Zelda, and Nabooru, barely came up to her waist.

She sighed and watched the Kokiri crowd around Link, asking him questions about his sword and what else he could do. She saw Link throw a look at Zelda and she shrugged. But Midori noticed the tips of her ears turn red. The Twilight Princess stifled a laugh. She knew there was something more to it than Zelda just giving Link comfort and consolation when he was feeling down.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Now listen," Saria said. Two days had gone by since Link demolished the scarecrow and finally he, Zelda, and Midori were leaving Kokiri to continue their journey of finding the Sages. Saria was trying to talk them out of a plan they had come up with. "Going to close to New Hyrule Castle is a one way ticket to Vidoreh and you are by no means ready to face him." These last words were directed at Link, who shrugged.

Zelda and Midori had made a quick stop the day before to Zora's Domain in Old Hyrule and found that Ruto was in the Lake Bed Temple in New Hyrule. They had gotten two Zora tunics for both Link and Zelda. Midori said she didn't need one because hiding in shadows is an automatic prevention against drowning. Link had then tested his tunic by crouching in the deep part of the stream that ran through Kokiri Forest and waiting for at least half an hour before Mido passed by. The Kokiri was still peeved at the fact that he had not noticed Link in the water until the Hero jumped out at him and scared him so badly that he had nearly fainted while Link collapsed on the ground with laughter.

But they, meaning Zelda, Midori, and Link, had soon come up with a plan. By studying the map and using Link's extensive knowledge of the past taken from his scholarly studies, they found that the Lake Bed Temple was just a jump away from the Hyrule Field next to Castle Town in New Hyrule. Everyone agreed that this would be the best plan to get there faster...except Saria.

"Saria, I've studied the map," Link said now. "There is no other way to go to the lake without getting close to the castle. They're right next to each other!"

Saria huffed. She drew herself up to her tallest height, looked Link in the eye and said, "If you get yourself killed, Hyrule is doomed. Take every precaution, got it?"

Link took a step back. He had never seen Saria so...serious. He nodded, as did the others.

Soon, they were on their way, through Ordon, and Faron woods, leaving the horses at Faron since they would have no need of them until they were on dry ground. They headed across the Hyrule Field, following the path that led straight to another section of Hyrule Field where the shortcut to Lake Hylia was. As they entered the small section, they noticed two people near the entrance to Castle Town. Link stopped dead, recognizing both. Zelda gasped. "Perhaps we should have listened to Saria?" she whispered, then glanced back the way they had come. "We can still make a run for it."

Before they could decide, however, the two people noticed them. Link drew his sword as the familiar translucent barriers came crashing down, blocking their escape.

Kaldari warped away from her master, reappearing in front of them, only to be tackled by Midori, who jumped out of Zelda's shadow. The two Twili scuffled on the ground for a moment until Kaldari, getting the upper hand, blasted Midori with an orb of raw magic, leaving the Twilight Princess sprawled on the ground. Kaldari aimed another orb of magic at Link and Zelda, but Link blocked it with his shield and it dissipated into nothing.

When he lowered his shield, Midori and Kaldari were fighting again. "Run, you fools!" Midori shouted as she blocked off another one of her sister's attempts at getting past her. But Link and Zelda were frozen to the spot...a low hum filled the air. Vidoreh was approaching and the three Triforce pieces – Courage, Wisdom, and Power – were acting as if they were magnets to each other. Link immediately understood. Deep down, an instinct told him that the Triforce longed to be together again, it longed to leave Vidoreh and join together. It considered the tyrant unworthy of holding a third of it, but it had had no choice in the matter of who got Power...the only choice was who got Wisdom and Courage.

Vidoreh stopped in front of Link and Zelda, narrowing his eyes, drawn sword in hand. "So you're the new Hero of Time who threatens my reign," he stated, his voice full of venom. "You're just that fool of a man's son..."

"Don't you DARE insult my father!" Link shouted, raising his sword. Vidoreh merely laughed and shook his head. Clearly he wasn't fazed. But neither was Link. The young hero felt a rage he had never felt before, a rage directed toward the man standing in front of him.

"And, I suppose now that he is dead, that you have taken in his footsteps and become the Protector?" The man laughed a short hollow laugh as Link glared even more darkly at him. "What is there to protect, you foolish child? You, of all people should know that!" He glanced down at Link's glowing hand.

Suddenly, there was a shout coming from the fighting Twili and Kaldari was sent flying full force into Vidoreh. The two lost their balance and fell to the ground. Midori, taking advantage of the distraction, ushered Link and Zelda toward the cliff overhanging Lake Hylia. Link glanced back at the villain. "Look out!" he shouted, shoving Midori to the side. He raised his shield just in time to block Vidoreh's swinging sword. The impact made Link's arm go numb, and a jolt of fear ran through him. The tyrant was powerful and strong. How on earth was he supposed to defeat him when the time came?

Midori, sensing Link's fear, whipped up a force field, separating the two. "Jump," she said, looking at Link and Zelda. "There's no time, just jump."

Zelda and Link went to the edge of the cliff and peered over. "It is much farther than I thought it would be," Zelda said. Link nodded.

There was a large cracking sound. They both turned and found that Midori's shield was being shattered.

With a loud noise like shattering glass the force field was broken. Midori ran towards Link and Zelda and pushed them before jumping over the cliff.

In a matter of seconds, Link had managed to sheath the Master Sword and to pull Zelda closer. They braced themselves for the impact of hitting the water...but it never came. Instead, there was the odd sensation of being warped before they landed hard on the ground. Link opened his eyes to the glaring sun. A sharp wind was blowing and sand fell on his face.

"Are you both okay?" Midori asked, her tall form blocking the sun. Link and Zelda sat up, dazed.

"Where are we?" Zelda asked.

"The Mirror Chamber," Midori replied, glancing away from them. Link followed her gaze. There, in the center of the circular arena, stood a platform with a shiny round mirror projecting strange white patterns onto a black rectangular rock. Link stood, brushing sand off his tunic. He glanced back at Midori, who gave a wistful sigh.

"That's home for you, isn't it?" he asked. Midori nodded.

"I just hope everyone's okay," she said. "Kaldari made a mess before she left and hurt quite a few people."

Link felt a pang of sympathy. Obviously, Midori cared for her people...her tribe. "It must have been tough to leave them," he said.

"Well...that's the thing. My boyfriend, Rodezant, one of the ones who got hurt by my treacherous sister, told me to go and find her. He didn't care how long it would take or even the fact that I would not be able to be there for him. He only wanted me to stop Kaldari before she did something worse." Midori slowly walked over to the platform, looking longingly at the black rock. "Don't get me wrong, it was hard to leave, but I promised I would help...and it turned out that stopping my sister was the way that I could do so."

They were silent. All that could be heard was the shimmering noises coming from the Mirror of Twilight and the whistling of the wind as it blew through. Zelda stood after a moment. "Did not Saria say that the Arbiter's Grounds were below the Mirror Chamber?"

"Yeah, she did," Link replied. "Why?"

"Well...Papa said something about how Impa is supposed to be in the Arbiter's Grounds. So, why not get through with this desert right now instead of waiting to find Ruto and then come back?"

Link nodded. "Perfect," he said. "Only, how do we get into the Arbiter's Grounds?"

"There must be a path somewhere..." Zelda said, looking around. "This way."

She took off at a run, followed by Link. Midori watched them for a moment. "Hey, wait up!" she called, dashing after them.

Zelda had been right: there was a path, and it led straight into a large, dark, circular room. It took them a moment for their eyes to adjust, but once they did, they were able to see much more of the room, which was in the shape of a cylinder. There was a drop down to a sandy strip and then another cylindrical platform rose up, level with the outer circle on which Link, Zelda, and Midori stood. The walls of the outer circle had a set of strange tracks that went nowhere but in a circle. The inner walls on the cylindrical platform spiraled upwards. And in the very center of this room, hovering a few feet above the sandy stone, was the Sage of Shadow Impa.

There was only one way to get across the gorge: a worn stone bridge. "It is...too easy," Zelda stated. "There has got to be something to stop us..."

Link heeded her advice and, drawing his sword and manning his shield, crept out across the bridge.

He was halfway across when there was a deafening screech. A large black sword came out of nowhere and slammed down in front of him, sending bits of rock flying in all directions. Link scrambled backwards to safe ground as the sword swung itself again, barely missing the top of the Hero's head.

"I knew there was something," Zelda said.

Link nodded, staring hard at the sword. It couldn't be wielding itself, could it? The answer came to him. He transformed into his wolf form and stared harder at it, trying to use his senses to see what could be wielding the sword.

And he did see it. It was a large monster garbed in a smoky black robe. Its head and hands were the only things visible. Its fingers looked like gray sticks, and its head was pointed into a gray muzzle. It had two pointed horns and red eyes. It glared and swung its sword. Link jumped at it the second the sword crashed down on the stone. He dug his claws into it and attacked. To his companions, however, they only saw him hanging in midair until the monster decided to reveal itself fully. It flung Link off and became visible before circling them slowly, its head cocked at an awkward angle.

Link backed closer to his friends and waited for the right moment. Just then, the monster lunged, but an opening appeared. Link dashed as well, attacking the monster and clinging to it with his claws. After a few minutes the monster dived into the crevice with Link still holding on tight. Zelda and Midori ran to the edge as a loud shriek filled the air.

The monster was killed, but where was Link?

Zelda spotted him down below, clinging to one of the tracks. He had transformed and was holding on for dear life.

"A little help?" he called, straining to keep his hold. If he fell, he might get hurt.

A second later, Midori warped him back to safe ground. He sighed and rubbed his hands. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Link stood and, once more, cautiously attempted to cross the bridge. This time, nothing happened so he walked up to the glowing purple orb and reached out with his left hand.

The second he came in contact with the Sage, the orb grew brighter. Link took a step back as the Sage took form.

"I have been waiting for you, young hero," she said. As with Nabooru, Link could see what Impa had looked like, except she glowed with a purple light. "And for you as well Zelda-Aurea and you Princess Midori." Impa's gaze fell on the other two who were on the outer circle. She looked back at Link. "You must hurry. Saria, Darunia, and Nabooru have been sending out constant messages, though I have not been able to respond. All are very urgent. Vidoreh is massing his forces because of what you have been doing to save Hyrule. He will not stop until all three of you are dead."

Link nodded and glanced back at Zelda and Midori.

"Do not be disheartened," Impa said. "Ruto and Rauru will be easy to find. You know where Ruto is, and Rauru is definitely in the Chamber of the Sages in the Sacred Realm."

"We'll find them as fast as we can," Link said.

Impa nodded with the usual briskness of a Sheikah. She focused once more on Zelda and spoke in a language neither Link nor Midori understood. But Zelda did – it was the language of the Sheikah. She smiled softly and nodded with a reply in the same language.

Suddenly, Impa was a glowing orb again. There was a flash of light and the trio found themselves standing on the sandy shore of Lake Hylia. A bright purple light flew overhead in the direction of the Kokiri Forest. Link sighed. Four sages down, two to go...

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: So, how'd you like the chapter? I fugured, since Death Sword - or whatever that creepy thing's name is - turns into bats when you defeat him, he wasn't really dead. Well, now, thanks to this Link right here, he is!<em>

_So, no one reviewed the last chapter...so I hope you guys like this one enough to **review! **No one gets thanked. Is it weird for me to thank the people who review? DO you guys not like it? Tell me! **In a review!**_

_Til next time! ~TwiliRupee_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Link squinted into the water, trying to see if he could spot the Lake Bed Temple. He sighed. The glare on the water prevented any sight further than the surface.

"We have a problem," Midori said.

"What?" Link asked, looking up at his friend. The Twilight Princess pointed to the opposite shore. Link looked and saw that Kaldari had found them and was watching them. He knew she was going to make a move very soon.

"Well, then," Link said. "Let's get going to the temple. I doubt she can follow us there." He dove into the water. Midori hid in Zelda's shadow and the Sheikah followed the Hero into the water. She looked at Link who was treading water nearby. "Are you sure these tunics are safe?" she asked. Link nodded and submerged himself. Zelda followed. They swam deeper, never feeling the urge to breathe because, like the Goron Tunics, these Zora Tunics were magic, and they somehow kept them safe from drowning. Link spotted at the deepest point in the lake an underwater building. He motioned to Zelda and swam deeper.

They finally reached the entrance to the temple and entered, swimming through a long tunnel filled with reeds. The tunnel curved upward, revealing a room that was, for once, not filled with water. A heavy humidity hung in the air. No wonder the Zora liked it here...it was as if it was underwater.

Link climbed out of the water and lent a hand to Zelda. They looked around, dripping.

"Who goes there?"

Link and Zelda whipped around. A Zora, his arms crossed with an annoyed expression, watched them from the other side of the pool of water from which they had just emerged.

"We are here to see the Sage of Water," Link said.

"Oh..." the Zora said. "Well...then...I presume you are the Hero Link and the Sheikah Zelda?"

Link nodded hesitantly. "We are."

The Zora's serious face split into a grin. "Don't worry, friend, I am not one of Vidoreh's spies. I was sent by the chieftess of the New Hyrulean Zora tribe, who got word from our mother tribe in Old Hyrule. I was told to guide you to the Sage."

"Really?" Link asked. The Zora nodded, becoming serious again. He started forward, his flipper feet slapping slightly on the stone floor. "This way."

He started up a set of stairs and through a doorway with Link and Zelda following close. They walked in silence across a stone bridge to another door...and then across a much more elaborate stone bridge. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of water, both running and still, the slight slapping of the Zora's footsteps, and their own footsteps.

The Zora led them through another door into a large circular room with several levels and a large staircase.

"If you please, what is your name?" Zelda asked as the Zora contemplated their next move.

"Lyyr," the Zora replied. He motioned for them to step up to the edge. The did so and he pointed downward. "See that door? Through it you will find the Sage Ruto."

"Is there an easier way to get there?" Link asked, noting how far down the door was. It was just below the middle of the staircase, right in the center of the room.

Lyyr nodded. He eyed a contraption above their heads and jumped at it, grabbing onto it. His weight yanked it down. The room shook and the staircase moved so that the top was right next to them. He started down the stairs. Link and Zelda followed once more.

After leading them around for a moment, Lyyr stopped and motioned. "Here, is this better?"

"Yes, Lyyr, thank you," Link replied. They were now level with the platform where the door was. There was water lapping up to both edges. Link jumped into the water and swam across. Zelda and Lyyr followed. They came up onto the platform and entered through the door only to find a hole in the floor.

"This is where I leave you," Lyyr said. "I must return to my tribe. I, on behalf of all the Zora in Hyrule, wish you all the luck in the world. Because of you both, hope has been brought to every race in Hyrule, and we give you the best of our wishes."

"Thank you," Link and Zelda said.

The Zora smiled again. Then he waved his hands. "Now go, Hyrule cannot wait too long."

Link and Zelda nodded and jumped down through the hole. There was a pond at the bottom of the deep room, softening their fall. When Link, recovering from the fall, stood up and pulled Zelda to her feet, they heard a shrill voice behind them.

_Took you long enough!_

Link turned and saw the Sage of Water as an orb floating a few feet above the water, glowing brightly. Link was surprised, but didn't get the chance to reply. _Do you know how long I've been waiting ever since Saria sent out that message that you were coming? Such inconsideration, especially coming from a hero!_

"We didn't mean to..." Link began.

The Sage didn't seem to hear. Instead, she changed the topic. _I'm going to get you out of here. You need to find Rauru fast. Go to the Chamber of Sages._

"Wait, Ruto, I don't even know how to get there."

_The Chamber of Sages can be found in the Sacred Realm. Only the Hero of Time can enter now...no other. Once you enter, you must walk straight, follow the path. Don't leave it and don't pay attention to any of the evils locked away from Hyrule. They are ancient evils condemned to be isolated. But they can harm you if you get too close. Once you reach the Mountain of Light, you will find an entrance to the Chamber. The Triforce is the key. I believe, once you talk to Rauru, that he will take you back either to the portal between the worlds or to the Temple of Time. Any other issues?_

Link shook his head. The Sage glowed brighter and with a flash of light brought them back up to the lake. The Sage flew off.

"Woah!"

The shout made both Link and Zelda turn. Two boys, both identical in age and appearance were sitting on the grassy ground, staring at them. One had a guitar balanced on his lap, the other had what looked like a board with several raised circles. Midori came out of Zelda's shadow, clearly ready to defend her friends. But she only amused the boys further.

"Dude, she came out of the Sheikah's shadow," the one with the board exclaimed excitedly.

"Man, that was awesome. You guys are cool!" the other added, beaming at them. Now Link, Zelda, and Midori were utterly confused.

"I have met you both before," Zelda stated. "Where?"

"Yeah, you have. Aren't you that Sheikah princess?" the one with the guitar asked. Link looked at Zelda with surprise, but Zelda merely shrugged.

"We do not have kings or queens in my tribe. My father is the leader, that is all."

Both boys stood. The one with the board spoke up. "Well, we hung out with your tribe for a while. Our mother and aunt are Sheikah."

"Ah, yes, now I remember," Zelda replied. "You two do not stay long in Kakariko."

"Oh not that Kakariko. We hang out in the New Hyrule Kakariko, where our dad comes from."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Link interrupted.

"The name's Tyrus," the boy with the guitar said. "But I'm known better as Ty. This is my twin, Nathan."

"Charmed," Nathan replied with a grin. He sat back down on the ground and started tapping out a beat on his board, his hands hitting only the raised circles. Link realized that the board was in fact a set of easily portable drums.

"So, who are you guys?" Ty asked. "I mean, I know you're Zelda-Aurea." He paused to give a nod to Zelda. "But I don't know either of you." He glanced at Midori and Link.

Link quickly introduced himself and Midori, further impressing them.

"Protector, huh?" Nathan asked, leaning back on his hands. "And a Hero to boot! This day just gets better."

"Better than it was this morning," Ty stated. "But that's cool. You being a descendant of the first Protector, William."

"I never said that..." Link said.

"It's common knowledge in our family that the Protector is descended from William. Through our dad, we are descendants of the greatest musician in all of Hyrule, William's brother Justin."

"So technically," Nathan said. "We're like your long lost cousins!"

Link grinned and shook his head. "Let's go with that. But we need to get going. Time is short."

"We'll come with you," Nathan said. "Of course, if that's okay with the Hero."

Link glanced at Zelda and Midori. They shrugged impassively. Without warning, Midori warped them to the Hyrule Field just outside of Old Hyrule Castle Town.

"That princess gets cooler and cooler with every second!" Ty exclaimed.

"I'm glad you find my abilities...'cool,'" Midori said as she followed Link and Zelda into the town. They stopped in the middle of the square, waiting for Link. The town hadn't suffered too much from Vidoreh's attacks, but there was a notable feeling hanging in the air.

"Are you alright?" Zelda asked, noting the expression on Link's face.

"It's hard to go on, Zelda," he said in a quiet voice. "I don't exactly want to go into the Temple of Time..."

"Why?"

Link took a shaky breath. "It holds too many bad things. It's the setting of all the dreams that haunt my sleep. It was...the last place I saw my father...before he died..."

A tear slipped down his cheek. Zelda glanced at the other three, but they were too busy talking. She gently took Link's left hand in her right. "You are not alone," she said. The two Triforce symbols glowed. Link nodded and rubbed away the tears with his sleeve. He took a breath. Zelda was right. He had friends with him...he was not alone.

"Come on, let's get this over with," he said. He led their small group forward toward the Temple of Time.

Link hesitantly entered, afraid of what he might see...but it was not as he expected.

The building was as quiet as ever, save for a shimmering noise caused by the three Spiritual Stones. Dried blood was on the floor in the middle of the room, and laying off to the side was an instrument...one similar to the Ocarina he had seen Saria playing. He walked over to it and picked it up.

It was the Ocarina of Time. He looked around, trying not to see the bloodstained floor. Then he noticed what was so amiss. There was no portal to the Sacred Realm anymore. Instead, there was a back room. Link walked forward to the back of the room. There, he knew, he would find the Pedestal of Time, where once the Master Sword rested. He walked up to the pedestal, wondering if he could gain access to the Sacred Realm if he...

He didn't bother to finish the thought. He slipped the Ocarina into the water proof bag hanging off his belt – the same bag where the book of Hylian Tales that Nabooru had given him was stored – and drew the Master Sword.

It was now or never.

The sword slipped into the pedestal with ease, as if it was coming home. There was a flash of blue light and the Temple of Time disappeared before his very eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Cliffhanger! What will happen? Just wait and see! Anyway, thanks to <strong>RheaTheWingedWhiteWolf<strong> for the review. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading! Don't forget to tell me what you think!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: It's been a while, hasn't it? I was busy with editing this chapter, hanging out with family during wild family gatherings, and going to my job. We'll be back on regular schedule (hopefully) for the rest of the time with this story. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

I couldn't believe it. One moment I was in the Temple of Time...the next I was in the courtyard back in the Old Hyrule Castle. It was odd. There were two children I had never seen standing by a window, peering in – a princess, and a boy garbed in green. A fairy flew around his head.

The boy gasped and stepped back from the window.

"What happened? Did he see you?" the princess asked. "Don't worry. He doesn't have any idea of what we're planning...yet!" The girl sighed sadly.

"Have you told your father?" the boy in green asked. I recognized his voice then. It was Link, my predecessor as the Hero of Time...only he was a child, younger than I was. I figured that the princess he was talking to was none other than Princess Zelda.

"...Yes. I told my father about my dream. However, he didn't believe it was a prophecy...But I can sense that man's evil intentions! What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it! And, he wants to conquer Hyrule...no, the entire world!"

There was another flash of blue, and the castle courtyard disappeared. I was confused. What was going on here?

A new scene came. This time, I definitely recognized Link and Zelda. Link had the Master Sword in his hand, and he was facing a gigantic blue and green monster that roared with fury. Zelda was separated from the Hero of Time by a large fire barrier. Link seemed almost about to faint. But he dashed underneath the monster as it swung its swords and slashed at the already bleeding tail of the monster. The monster fell and a stream of yellow light hit it. It screamed. I looked around for the source of this magic. Zelda. The fire barrier was down and she was holding the monster. Suddenly, she lost all strength and stopped, falling to her knees. The Master Sword glowed with a blue light. I could see in Link's eyes just what was about to happen.

He glanced in my direction and out eyes met. A look of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly masked it and walked up to the monster. Only I could hear the words he spoke. "This is your penalty, Ganondorf, for destroying Hyrule."

He lunged and after a few good sword strikes, the Master Sword was embedded into the villain's head. The monster flailed and there was a flash of blue light. I thought it was all apart of the scene, but then I realized that it wasn't. I was time traveling again.

The next thing I knew, I was in Faron Woods. I saw Link standing in the shallow waters of the spring, watching with an intent gaze at the spring. I looked too. There was a ball off pure light rising from the water. A form of a monkey appeared, grasping the light. He swung around and hung off it, his large tail continuing around him until it nearly touched his the start of the tail. It looked directly at Link and spoke in a slow, sonorous voice. "My name is Faron. I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in Hyrule. By order of the gods, I protect this forest.

"O brave youth...in the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast. That was a sign. It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you, and that they are awakening. Look at your awakened form."

I guessed Link hadn't taken a very good look at himself. He seemed surprised to find himself garbed in the clothes of the Hero. He gasped and nearly spun in a circle to see himself. He didn't say much however, for the spirit continued.

"The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods." Link stopped looking at himself and stared at his hand before looking up at the light spirit once more. The spirit continued on still: "His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is Link. You are the hero chosen by the gods.

"Brave Link...A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away. Because of its nature, it is a power that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. But this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice. You must match the power of the king of shadows. If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths." The light spirit flashed and disappeared, leaving Link standing in the spring. He looked at his hand once more, and I could see the Triforce faintly shining through his glove. He turned and walked out of the spring, his eyes meeting mine for the second time. Once again, that look of surprise crossed his face. He seemed ready to speak when something came out of his shadow. The scene was quickly dissolved in a flash of blue light.

I found myself standing in a field in New Hyrule with a spectacular view of the New Hyrule Castle. It was dusk, and everything seemed so peaceful. Nothing was happening. At all. I sighed, waiting. I wasn't here in this time period for no reason.

My answer came swiftly.

There was the sound of warping and two figures melted out of the sunset: the first Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny. They looked around for a moment, the Hero rubbing his right shoulder with a look of pain on his face.

"What happened to you shoulder?" the Princess asked.

"Dumb porky beast rammed me against a pillar." The Hero shook his arm a bit. "I think my arm's going numb. Which is great because now I can't use my shield." His voice was sarcastic, betraying his pain.

"Here." The Princess laid a hand on his injured shoulder. A moment later, the Hero grinned.

"Forgot you could do that," he said. He sighed. "It's been forever since we saw each other last."

"Link. It's been seven years. Not forever. You seemed to have survived just fine, like last time when you first discovered you were the Hero of Time."

"Last time, Zelda," the Hero said, emphasizing with a finger, a half smile on his face. I grinned. So that was what my predecessor was like. "I was asleep. For seven years." He held up seven fingers. "This time was different. I was awake for it all." He looked at her softly. "I really missed you, Zel."

The Princess rolled her eyes and looked away, blushing. "I missed you, too."

A loud rumbling noise shook the air. Both looked toward the castle. Lightning bolts seemed to fly out from the ground, and the castle exploded. Large chunks of rock flew into the air, darkening the evening sky. "Blast him," the Hero said, anger lacing his voice.

"What about Midna?" the Princess asked with worry.

As the dust settled, a horse and rider could be seen. The horse was black, sturdy, like the Gerudo horses I had seen when I went to the desert to find Nabooru. But the eyes of this one were blood red. Astride the horse was a man so evil looking that I knew exactly who he was.

Vidoreh.

But how could that be? This scene had taken place over a hundred years ago. How could Vidoreh be here and in my time. I thought harder. Perhaps this wasn't Vidoreh. They looked very different, now that I observed them. Perhaps this was Ganondorf, the King of Evil, and Vidoreh was his decedent.

The horse reared with a haunting neigh and Ganondorf held up an object, making both the Princess and the Hero gasp with surprise and anger. A moment later, the object crumbled from the man's hand, broken. Then the villain turned his horse and kicked him into a gallop, aided by other ghostly riders. They charged. The Hero readied his sword, but the Princess took his hand, nodding. She had a plan. Just as Ganondorf was about to run them over, there was a flash of light and the two disappeared.

The black horse was almost on top of me now. I shielded my face with my arms but the horse never touched me.

I was time traveling again.

I found himself standing next to two people, the Hero, only older, and William, the first Protector. Off in the background, the rest of the Royal family was relaxing in the garden of New Hyrule Castle.

"Well, I am happy for you and Heather," the Hero said. "It must feel so good to finally live the life you wanted."

"It is, Grandfather," William replied with a grin.

"But there is something more, isn't there. The Triforce gave you a job to do."

"Yes. It has given me the job of protecting it. I am what it called...the Protector of the Triforce."

The Hero seemed to ponder this. "Perhaps it would be wise if you and Heather moved to live in the Old Hyrule Castle. It's very close to the Temple of Time and you would have no problems getting there if indeed the Triforce is in danger. After your wedding of course."

"That sounds fine." William nodded, though he seemed distant, most likely thinking on his wedding.

The Hero, noting the look on the first Protector's face, grinned. "I won't keep you long. I just wanted to find out what the Triforce had wanted you to do. Go." William nodded again and walked back to the family, sitting down next to a woman and putting his arm around her shoulders. The Hero watched him. Suddenly, his gaze fell on me. There was no interruption this time. This was the first he had been spoken to in this entire time traveling trip.

"Who are you?" the famed hero asked. "I've seen you before."

I hesitated. "I..I am your namesake..."

As those words left my mouth, the blue flared up. Gone from the scene. At least I had spoken with him...

I found myself standing in a blue room that looked like it was made of water. I looked around. I was standing on a Triforce symbol. Around me were symbols of the Sages.

"Enjoying your time traveling?"

I turned. Standing before me was an old man with a large mustache. His blue eyes looked at me kindly. "I guess..." I replied. "Where is this?"

"The Chamber of Sages," the man replied. "I am Rauru, the Sage of Light."

I nodded, feeling happy. I had found all six Sages!

"Now listen. Time is short. In few moments, the role of the Protector shall be created. William is about to be given the duty of the Protector by the Triforce and the goddesses. In that instant, time will change again and you will have the opportunity to end your time traveling if you wish. Please, give me the medallion Darunia gave you."

I reached into my belt bag and felt around for it, pulling it out. I noticed that all but one of the gems were glowing. I handed the medallion to the Sage. "So I'm not in my time period?" I asked.

"No, not yet." Rauru looked closely at the medallion then up at me. "I know quite a bit of the future, and that comes from being reclusive in my little chamber here. When you face Vidoreh, which will be very soon after you return to your own time, you will need to act fast. You must rely on your skills as a hero. You have come far. And when the time comes, your friends, Midori, Zelda, Nathan, Ty, and the rest, you will need their help in the end. Rely on them, as well, as they and all of Hyrule rely on you." He handed the medallion back. I noticed with joy that all six gems were now glowing.

"Go, now, Hero, and fulfill your destiny."

At that moment, the blue flared up again. I saw before me the Master Sword jammed into the Pedestal of Time. I gripped it with one hand, the other holding the medallion. I struggled to pull the sword free. Suddenly, it came loose and the blue light died down. I lost my balance and fell onto my back, breathing hard.

"Link!"

Zelda's concerned face came into view.

"Hey, Zel," I said with a grin.

"Are you alright?" she asked. I nodded and showed her the medallion. "Vidoreh time," I said.

She sighed. I remained lying there. "Was I gone long?" I asked.

"No. You put the sword in, the light came, the light left, and you fell."

"Really?"

"Dude, did you time travel?" Ty asked. I looked at him.

"Yeah. I did. It was really...interesting."

"See anyone cool?" Nathan asked as I stood. I nodded.

A yellow light filled the temple for a brief moment, then Rauru, as an orb of light, flew out of nowhere and raced out of the Temple. I sighed. "Let's get back to Kokiri, I want to find out how we're going to get to Vidoreh."

The others nodded and we started out of the temple.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: I forgot to say up top that I changed the perspective. It will go back to the regualr perspective next chapter. Also, I dropped a little hintspoiler, though its a bit clear as to what the hint is. Perhaps you can figure it out. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading._

_Leave a review?_


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Here we are with another chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to **Llwynog the Bard** for the review!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

The small group of friends walked out onto the sunny Hyrule Field, heading toward the Kokiri Forest. Ty was entertaining everyone by telling a story and accompanying it with chords on his guitar. Everything was calm and peaceful...until a shout shattered it.

"Tyrus and Nathan!"

The shout was nearly hysterical, and it caused the entire group to turn towards the source. A Sheikah woman was marching towards them from Kakariko, followed by Camilla and Vorges. Both Ty and Nathan seemed to shrink. Ty played a dreading tune on the base string on his guitar. Zelda merely laughed and went over to greet her parents.

"Where on earth have you been?" the woman cried as she got closer to the musical twins. Link and Midori, feeling out of place, inched away.

"Mama, we were just exploring," Nathan said.

"These days are not for exploring, not with Vidoreh running around!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Ty said. This was apparently the wrong thing to say.

"Not that big of a deal?" the woman exclaimed. "Do you realize how much stress you have placed on both your father and I? He was absolutely frantic when he came to Kakariko with the news that you both had disappeared. We only thought the worse had happened to you! And then you turn up saying that it is not a big problem! Where did you leave you senses? You could have been killed!"

"Mother, if you must know we were helping our friends," Ty interrupted. He glanced hopefully in Link's direction. The Sheikah woman looked at Link with the expectation of a story.

"Actually, ma'am," Link said. "We kind of helped them. But I know they will be of good help later on." Nathan rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed at Link's lack of support.

The woman turned back to her sons. "That is just as I thought it was."

"Nenah, do not be so harsh on them," Vorges said, coming up to the woman. "If they were with Link here, then they were safe."

Nenah heaved a sigh. "Fine. But do not think your father will not have anything to say to you."

Ty and Nathan seemed to shrink under their mother's glare.

Zelda and Camilla walked over to Link and Midori as Nenah continued to scold her children. "I am glad you are safe, Link," Camilla said, giving Link a quick hug of gratitude. "Where are you headed now?"

"To Kokiri Forest," Link replied. "We've found all the Sages."

"You are facing Vidoreh soon?" Vorges asked. Link nodded. "You may find it tough to get to him. Reports from the Sheikah warriors have been coming in from New Hyrule: the castle town is almost impenetrable due to the large amounts of enemies moving in."

"I heard of that," Link said. "That's why we're going to Kokiri. We need to find out how to get into the castle."

"It is simple," Zelda said suddenly. "The roofs shall be our way through. We scale the wall, leap from roof to roof, and then get into the castle grounds. I do not think Vidoreh would have posted any stalfos on them. We must, however, be silent."

"Zelda, I can't climb up walls," Link said.

"Then I think it is time to give you a few good Sheikah lessons." She grinned.

"We will come with you, then," Camilla said, "in case you are seen."

"Us, too?" Nathan and Ty asked at the same time. Nenah said something to them in her native tongue, dampening their enthusiasm.

"If it's alright with you, Nenah," Link said. "Zelda and I could use all the help we get."

Nenah though on this for a moment before nodding. "I shall accompany you as well."

* * *

><p>Mido walked through the forest with Link just behind him. "I still don't see why you're bringing all these people," the Kokiri said. "I mean, I understand you bringing Zelda and the Twili, but the rest?"<p>

"These "people" are my friends, Mido, and they are going to help me," Link replied. He glanced back at the group following him. Not counting Zelda or Midori, there were only five others. Was that a lot?

"There has never been so many outsiders like them at the Forest Temple," Mido continued.

"Why does the kid keep calling us outsiders?" Ty spoke up.

"He's actually much older than he looks, Ty," Link said.

"Darn right I am!" Mido growled. He stomped on, leading them deeper and deeper into the Lost Woods. Before long, Link heard the unmistakeable sound of Saria's Ocarina. A blue light flashed in front of them and Link found himself face to face with the Sage of Water, this time in full form.

"What took you so long?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. The sound of the Ocarina stopped. Mido grumbled at Ruto before turning to Link. "There, have fun." He stormed away. Saria came into sight. "Thank you, Mido!" she called after the Kokiri.

"Yeah, yeah!" Mido replied, disappearing into the trees.

Saria grinned at Link before motioning them to enter the Sacred Forest Meadow.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Link lay on the cool grass, staring up at the stars and moon. He knew he needed rest. Within several more hours, he would be fighting Vidoreh after sneaking into the castle grounds. The plan had been formed by himself, Zelda, and the Sages, and he had confidence that the plan was a good one, but just the thought of having to face the man who killed his father and would kill him if he got the chance let him have no sleep. He sighed.<p>

"Link?" Zelda asked after a moment in a whisper so that she would not wake the others. Link sat up and saw Zelda watching him. Around the meadow were the sleeping forms of his friends. Ty and Nathan were to one side next to their mother. Saria, the only Sage who actually needed to sleep, was on the opposite side of the meadow her fairy resting on the top of her head. Above the ground in the trees, the rest of the Sages kept watch to make sure that they wouldn't be attacked during the night. The glowing orbs cast glows through the branches of the trees. Zelda lay a few yards away from Link next to her parents, and Midori was a few yards away from them. Unlike her parents, Zelda was wide awake.

"Are you alright?" she asked, sitting up. Her eyes bore into his and he had to answer.

"I'm just anxious."

Zelda looked at her parents and moved closer to him. "It is a lot of responsibly to hold," she said, taking his hand. The Triforce symbols glowed as they came in contact. Link sighed.

"That and the possibility I might not even survive."

Zelda rolled her eyes and let his hand go. "Do not be pessimistic," she said. "You have skills that he does not have. You will be able to get rid of him. I can just tell. He is not going to hold together much longer once he learns that you can surpass all that he throws at you."

"Are you sure?"

"By my Wisdom, I am very sure." She tapped the Triforce symbol on her hand. Link sighed and looked down at his own hands, and couldn't help but wonder if they would be up to the task of wielding the Master Sword against Vidoreh. Zelda noticed his sadness and hesitation and put a hand on his shoulder. Link looked at her with a soft smile and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. "You give me hope, Zelda," he said.

"Of course I do. So much of your hope is given to others. I must supply the hope that you hold for yourself." She grinned, a thought occurring to her as Link stifled a yawn. "We cannot fall asleep like last time...my parents would surely not tolerate it..."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good."

They sat in companionable silence for a while until Link sighed again. "You'll be by my side tomorrow, won't you?"

"All the way," Zelda replied. Link smiled and impulsively kissed the top of her head. Zelda didn't seem to mind. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Link and Zelda turned, only to see Impa standing nearby.

"If I could, Impa, I would," Link said. The Sheikah Sage walked over and sat next to them. The look in her eyes told them that she had seen their exchange from the beginning.

"You mustn't worry about that now," she said knowingly. "You need your rest if you are going to fight tomorrow."

"I can't sleep, though," Link said. "I've tried and failed."

"Then think of something else." She gave him a sly look. "I'm sure there is at least one thing you can think of."

Link grinned and nodded. Impa stood with a nod and walked off. Link and Zelda exchanged a grin. "Sleep well, Zel," Link said.

"And you as well," Zelda replied. She moved away some before settling down on the cool grass. Link laid down as well, staring up at the starry sky once more. He closed his eyes, forcing his thoughts to take a different course. He grinned and drifted off, finally, to sleep.

"Hey, Link! Wake up!"

Link opened his eyes. It was still dark, but people were rousing themselves. Ty and Nathan were bantering about something. Saria was talking to Darunia. Midori and Zelda stood over Link. Zelda was holding the Master Sword and the shield.

"Is it time?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his face. Zelda knelt down next to him.

"Yes, it is."

Link sighed and Zelda handed him his weapons. She gave him a small smile.

"Whatever it is, tell me," Midori said. "I can see something happened when I wasn't watching."

"It's nothing," Link said, standing. He buckled his sword belt on, and hung the shield over it. He sighed and looked up at the sky, trying to judge the time. It was maybe around three in the morning. They needed to hurry if they wanted to get the advantage of sneaking around the Castle Town by dark.

"Shall we get going?" Nabooru suggested. There was a murmured consent around the meadow.

Link and Zelda, with Midori hiding in her shadow, fell into step together, leading the group out of the Meadow with Saria.

Half an hour before dawn, they had just reached the gates of Castle Town. Vorges, being the most highly skilled Sheikah, climbed onto the roof of a building right next to the gate and threw a rope down for the others. Everyone but the Sages, who flew up high so that they wouldn't alert the enemies to the others' presence, climbed up and joined the Sheikah leader on the roof. They moved carefully along so they wouldn't be spotted. Link looked down into the streets and saw a group of ten stalfos marching past many sentries. There were at least thirty stalfos in this one length of street. Behind him, Ty slipped a bit, and Nathan caught his arm just in time. Everyone froze. One of the stalfos stopped. "What was that?" it asked in a raspy voice. Link grimaced. Would their plan suddenly end?

"You're just hearing things, bonehead," another stalfos said. "Come on."

The group of monsters moved off. Link let out an inaudible sigh of relief. He and the others continued on, being extra careful.

It was several tense minutes before they reached the area before the gate into the castle. There were no more roof tops to scramble across. Link looked at Vorges and Camilla. They seemed to be formulating a plan. Vorges turned to the group. He made several motions, which they all interpreted as stay quiet and follow him. He jumped down from the roof, landing silently on the cobblestone. He quickly hid in the shadows. Camilla, Zelda, and Nenah followed, their silent Sheikah movements attracting no attention. Ty, Nathan and Link exchanged a glance. Link muffled his sword and jumped down, rolling as he hit the ground. He looked around and hid before he was spotted. Ty and Nathan were about to jump when Vorges signaled them to not do so. A small sentry of stalfos were coming up the path on their round. The twin musicians crouched close down to the rooftop.

Link narrowed his eyes. What if the stalfos saw them? What would happen?

The monsters got closer and closer.

One of the stalfos saw them. It stopped short, staring directly at them. "What the...?" it asked. Link didn't give it time to finish. He dashed out and did a Great Spin, killing most of the skeletons then and there. The other two charged at him, their jagged swords raised and poised to attack. Ty and Nathan, seeing this, jumped down with shouts and tackled the stalfos, slaying them with their daggers.

"Quickly now," Vorges said. They ran towards the gate leading into the castle. But they didn't go unnoticed. "There! Over there! Intruders!"

Stalfos began storming the street. Now was not the time to sneak.

"Run!" Link shouted. The group started off toward the gate. Midori came out of Zelda's shadow, determined to help. She started to attack, only to be pulled back by Link. He didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt. They ran into the courtyard of castle and, together, shoved the doors closed. There was a great sound of pounding of the stalfos on the wooden door. They collapsed, breathing hard. But they were here in the castle grounds. They were safe from the monsters outside, but not the ones on the inside.

"Oh, wrong choice." The lilting voice floated through the air. Kaldari stepped forward and Midori jumped up, ready to face her sister.

"This ends here, Kaldari," the Twilight Princess said.

"Yes...for you."

The two Twili clashed, and the fight for the Twilight throne began.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The fight went on for several minutes. Sister verses sister...Twili verses Twili.

Midori ducked and fired an orb of magic that deflected against a shield that her sister had called up.

"You'll never get past me," Kaldari spat.

"You wanna bet?" Midori said. She warped and appeared right behind her sister, taking advantage of her sister's confusion as she looked around to find her. Midori struck Kaldari with another orb of raw magic. She stumbled and turned, angry at this. With the force of several warriors, Kaldari drew a dagger and struck at her sister.

The Twilight Princess stumbled backwards, her hand pressed against her side. A new ferocity shone in her eyes. She too drew a dagger and they went at each other again, warping in and out of the battle scene with the hope that they would be able to catch each other off guard.

It almost worked on Kaldari's part. She had warped away and reappeared just beside Midori. Midori took advantage of this and, like Kaldari had done with Link, hit her with the hilt of her dagger.

Kaldari fell, out for the count. Midori stared down at her sister, a look of dismay crossing her face. She pressed her hand to her side where her cut bled, but knelt down next to Kaldari. She used her magic to make a binding and tied Kaldari's hands behind her back. She straightened and looked at her companions.

"Are you okay?" Link asked.

"Yes," Midori replied, looking away. "Can you spare five minutes? She should not be left unattended. I'm going to get help to keep her restrained."

The others nodded and Midori warped. They waited. A few minutes later, Kaldari opened her eyes. She started to struggle and, finding herself unable to, began to curse.

A minute after Kaldari woke, Midori returned, this time with another Twili.

"I see you're back on your feet, Rodezant," Kaldari said.

"Unlike you," the Twili replied. He and Midori hoisted Kaldari to her feet. Kaldari struggled.

"Do you have any idea what I've gone through?" she shouted.

"Vaguely," Midori said. "Your jealousy and greed caused you to fight for evil."

"You're wrong," Kaldari spat. "Like usual, you're wrong!" Kaldari struggled even more, trying to break free of Rodezant's strong grip. "Do you know what it's like to be an outcast, the second best? While you were being pampered I was shoved to the back, never to be recognized as a princess as well. And when I tried to talk with you alone, you treated me like a piece of dirt. Why, Midori, why?" Kaldari glared fiercely at her sister. "Answer me!"

Midori took a step back, stunned. She looked away, unable to meet her sister's gaze while trying to think of something to say.

"I thought as much," Kaldari said. Her voice lost its hysteria, but there was still venom laced into the words. Midori glared at her.

"Perhaps what you say is true, but you channeled it in the complete wrong way. To whom did you go to talk about it? No one. What did you do to solve the problem peacefully? Nothing. Who are you to speak about wrongdoings when you have done the worst wrongdoing of them all? Did you think that by joining forces with Vidoreh you would get what you thought was rightfully yours? Deep down I can see that you didn't want any harm to pass to anyone...you just want to be noticed. But Vidoreh will do no such thing. He is a ruthless man that will kill anyone and everyone who dares to make a comment against his rule. You know that to be true. Yet why do you fight for him?"

It was Kaldari's turn to be silent. She stopped her struggling and let her head hang. There was not a sound now. Midori sighed and glanced at Link. He and the others were watching the whole scene with intrigue.

"Midori," Rodezant said. "Perhaps we can do something..."

Midori nodded. Her eyes held a sadness that Link detected had a tinge of regret. The Twilight Princess looked up at her boyfriend. "Could you take her back home? I have to help my friends."

Kaldari looked up with a dazed look in her eyes. The blow to her head must have been causing that, for a moment later her knees gave out and she nearly fell if Midori and Rodezant hadn't caught her.

"Let go of me," Kaldari muttered.

"No," Rodezant said. Midori leaned closer to Rodezant and muttered something. He nodded and warped himself and Kaldari away. Midori sighed and turned to the group as a loud bang echoed through the courtyard. The Sages came down.

"What's going on?" Rauru asked.

"Ran into some problems," Zelda said. "But it is all solved now." There was another bang, issuing from the wooden doors. Splinters went flying.

"The stalfos are breaking in," Link said. "We need to hurry to Vidoreh."

"You guys go," Midori said. "We'll take care of the stalfos."

Link nodded. He and Zelda started off.

"Link, wait!" Saria called. Link stopped and turned. "Play my song when you get near Vidoreh, okay?"

Link nodded and hurried off. There was an even louder splintering sound and the doors crashed open. Link couldn't bear to look back. Zelda and Link took hands and charged into the castle. The large wooden doors shut behind them, cutting off all sound but their heavy breathing. Link looked around. Where to go?

He thought fast. Vidoreh would probably be in the throne room. A set of crumbled stairs told him that the way to the throne room was shut off.

There was no way that they could make their way up to the second floor. They were trapped. They had come here only to be disappointed.

He sighed and looked around. There had to be something.

Suddenly, his eye caught movement. He squinted harder. A golden wolf – or rather an afterimage of a golden wolf - was trotting past him. Link followed it, unsure of what he was seeing. The wolf looked back and waved its tail before trotting along the side of the room. It stopped and pawed at a panel in the wall. It moved to the side and sat, its tail waving again. Link realized with a start that this was no ordinary wolf.

As he pulled at the panel the wolf had indicated, he knew just who the wolf was: the Hero's Shade in his wolf form.

Link saw a large treasure chest hidden away in the alcove he had just uncovered. He opened it and found several weapons as well as an assortment of other objects, gloves, masks, and shields. There was a bow and a quiver of arrows, a shiny mirror shield, two claw objects, a boomerang that shimmered, and two sets of gauntlets – one silver, the other gold – and much more. The Golden Wolf pointed with his tail to one of the claws and trotted out of the alcove. Link picked it up and followed.

"Link?" Zelda asked. "You found a way?"

"I hope so," Link replied. He looked at the claw. It seemed that if one pressed a button that was on the inside, one could launch the claw. He pointed it and tried. The claw shot out, attached to a chain. A split second later, it recoiled and was ready to launch again.

"I think that will do," Zelda said with a grin. Link nodded.

Link looked at the Golden Wolf. He was staring up at the chandeliers. He glanced at Link and looked back up. Link looked at the chandeliers carefully. It looked like the claw could grab onto the light fixture.

"I've got it," Link said, looking at Zelda. He saw the Golden Wolf nod and wave his tail, trotting away. Link moved the false panel in front of the alcove. He would fetch the rest of the treasures later if he had the time. He turned to Zelda, holding out his arm. "Hang on tight," he said.

Zelda nodded. She came closer and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Zelda put her arms around his shoulders. He aimed with the clawshot and let it fly. It took both of them up, hanging in the midst of a dusty chandelier. Link looked down. He tapped the button on the clawshot and it released from the chandelier. They landed hard on the balcony but they were up. Link looked down. He saw Sarah at the entrance to the hall. Her tail waved and she nodded before bounding out of sight.

"Where to?" Zelda asked. She looked expectantly at him. She knew he knew the way through the castle: it had been in his family's possession for many a generation.

Link looked around for a moment, getting his bearings. Then he nodded. "This way!" he said. He and Zelda took off, hurrying through the halls.

Link knew exactly where they were going. He led Zelda through the halls of the castle, remembering times from his childhood when he had come to visit his family. Here was the room where he had played chess with his uncle. Here was the room where he and Leroy had pretended to be warriors when they were three.

So many memories, yet it brought a sense of sadness. Still, he and Zelda hurried on.

He led Zelda out onto an outdoor balcony high above the ground. Sounds of fighting filled the air. Zelda hurried to the edge, peering over. They could see the fight from where they were.

Link glanced at Zelda. Her face was filled with worry. "I'm sure they'll be alright," Link said. Zelda looked at him and nodded.

"Still," she said.

Link gave her a quick, comforting hug before taking her hand. They walked on. They were close to Vidoreh now. The anxiety began to fill him and he looked at Zelda. Would he have the chance to ever hug her again? The thought was profoundly sad, and he shook his head slightly, trying to expel it. They entered the castle again and wound their way up the stairs. There was talk now. Only silence.

They came to the door. Link sighed. This was it. He fished around in his belt bag and found the Ocarina of Time. He put the instrument to his lips and played Saria's Song.

He waited for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, six bright flashes of light appeared. The six Sages stood before them.

"Where did you find the Ocarina?" Saria asked, looking at the Ocarina of Time in Link's hand.

"The Temple of Time," Link replied. "Why?"

"It had been a long time since any of us heard that Ocarina," Darunia said.

"What is the battle like outside?" Zelda asked anxiously.

"It is going well in our favor," Impa said. "We were nearing victory when we left." Impa looked at Link. "Vorges wanted me to give this to you, just in case." She held out a dagger in a small sheath. Link took it and put it on his belt as Saria explained the plan.

"Since Vidoreh holds the Triforce of Power, he could come back once you dispatch him. He might not even die. What we Sages will do is seal him away so that he will not be able to return, even with the Triforce of Power."

"But that means that the Triforce will never be whole again," Link said.

"It does, but it is a risk we must all take," Nabooru said. "If peace is ever to be restored to Hyrule, we must do what we can. The job of the Protector could die with Vidoreh."

Link nodded. The Sages looked at him. He knew it was time. There was no more talking. There was no more planning. There was only the weight of the Hero of Time's destiny, weighing down on his shoulders like a ton of bricks. Zelda gave him a slight nod. Link turned and opened the door.

The time for his destiny to be fulfilled was now.

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><p><em><strong>Review?<strong>_


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's note: Thanks to **Llwynog the Bard** for the review!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

Link and Zelda entered the throne room followed by the Sages.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up!" Vidoreh's deep, dark voice filled the room. Link unsheathed his sword and readied his shield, glaring at the man on the throne. Vidoreh stood. "You seem to be stronger than I though you would be. You've gotten past the resurrected Volvagia, past Death Sword in the Arbiter's Grounds, past my many stalfos, and even past Kaldari, though that was no surprise. She was not that strong to begin with."

Link suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Kaldari. Vidoreh hadn't prized her as much once her weaknesses began to show. His thoughts returned to the current situation when he heard Vidoreh unsheathing his sword. The villain waved his hand and a black barrier separated Link and Zelda from the Sages. They would be unable to help during the battle. "But of course, you will not get me," the villain continued, taking a few steps away from the throne. "I am much stronger than any of them, and I grow stronger with each passing moment because of this Power." He raised his right hand and the Triforce of Power glowed. Immediately, a low hum filled the air as the other two pieces glowed as well. Vidoreh glared. "And soon, with the power of Wisdom and Courage, I will be unstoppable and invincible. So...be good little children and give me the Triforce."

"Never," Link and Zelda said at once. Link raised his sword. Vidoreh took a few more steps forward, his glare darkening. "What compels you, children? Fear? Courage? You cannot possibly stop me from gaining what is rightfully mine!"

Link was filled with Courage, his anxiety completely washed away. "I will stop you no matter what, Vidoreh!" he shouted. "With every bit of courage in my heart I will stop you!"

Vidoreh looked surprised. Then he bared his teeth. "Very well, whelp. You and your friends will die!"

With a shout, the tyrant lunged forward. Link raised his sword, and blocked.

The final battle for the peace of Hyrule was met.

The two swords clashed again and again. Link found that he himself had grown stronger. No longer did his arms go numb when he blocked Vidoreh's sword with his shield or sword. But something baffled him, especially as he attempted to do a Helm Splitter with the hopes that the battle would progress faster. Vidoreh seemed to know exactly what tricks Link could do, and how to stop them.

As Link jumped over Vidoreh, swinging his sword, the villain seemed to know what was coming and blocked with his sword. He took Link by surprise and shoved him back. Link scrambled out of the way of the dark sword just in time. The sword came crashing down, striking off the stone floor.

Link watched Vidoreh approach again. The Hero was breathing hard.

"Tired already, boy?" Vidoreh taunted. "Well I'm just getting started!"

"No, I'm not tired," Link replied, hoping that his voice wouldn't betray his fear, which had moved back in. "Just waiting for you to hurry up."

Vidoreh glared and dashed forward again. Link was ready. He jumped to the side and rolled. He came out of his roll with a spin attack.

The Master Sword made contact with Vidoreh, but did not hurt him badly. Link lifted the now blood stained blade and waited. The flash of light went up the blade and he did a Jump Strike. But Vidoreh blocked angrily.

"Foolish boy," he growled. "You will regret that!"

The swords continued to clash. Link and Vidoreh moved across the room. Five minutes passed and they were still at it. Link's sword hand had been hit by Vidoreh's blade and was beginning to ache, but he pressed on.

Vidoreh sensed his weakness. He swung his sword quickly and knocked the Master Sword from Link's hand. It went flying, clattering onto the ground. Link didn't have time to run to it. Vidoreh swung his sword again and Link barely got his shield up before the blade was brought down on it. Link tried to get to his sword. Vidoreh was faster. He kicked the Master Sword away. Link stopped. He was nearly defenseless.

He saw a blur, and the next thing he new, Zelda was attacking Vidoreh with all her might.

"Go, Link!" she shouted, ducking Vidoreh's sword. Link ran to the Master Sword and picked it up. He turned ready to fight again. He gasped. Vidoreh knocked Zelda to the ground, and his free hand was surrounded by purple magic. As Zelda struggled to her feet, Vidoreh let the magic go. Zelda was sent flying backwards into one of the pillars in the room. She lay motionless where she landed. Vidoreh turned and rammed into Link, holding him against another pillar, his grimy hands around the Hero's neck. Link lost his grasp on the Master Sword again.

"Do you honestly think, boy, that after all these years I would let _you_ kill me?" Vidoreh's voice was low and menacing as he held Link to the pillar by his neck. "You cannot possibly kill me! I made it so the first time I got the Triforce over two hunred years ago!"

"No one's that old," Link gasped, fighting for his breath.

"Except me, fool."

Then it hit Link. This man in front of him, who went by the name Vidoreh, was actually Ganondorf!

"Finally getting the big picture, are you? Good. Now you know it wasn't just anyone taking over Hyrule. It was Ganondorf."

Black spots covered Link's vision as he gasped for air. His hand went to the dagger at his side. It was his only hope. He drew it and lunged.

It made contact with Vidoreh's side. The villain yelled and let go of Link. The Hero scrambled out of the way, and stumbled, blackness filling his vision. He fell, still gasping, glancing back at Vidoreh in time to see the villain pull the dagger from his side. Link's vision blacked again and he struggled to breathe. He barely saw the Master Sword nearby. If only he could get it.

"Stupid child," he heard Vidoreh gasp. Link tried to get to his feet. Vidoreh shoved him down, his sword point ready to kill. Link rolled onto his back and the sword came down, digging into the stone. Link couldn't move again. He was right next to a pillar. The sword came down faster than he expected.

There was no escaping it. He sensed only pain as the blade struck.

It was over.

Vidoreh looked down at Link. The boy was dying. He knew it. He took a few steps backward. "Did you really believe you could defeat me?" he tyrant said as Link gasped in pain. "This is the price you pay for trying to end my reign." He began to laugh mercilessly.

Link felt a new burning on his hand and strength filled him. The Triforce of Courage glowed. He reached out and grasped the Master Sword. He had to finish the job. He was not leaving until it was done. He pushed himself slowly to his feet, glaring.

"It's not over Vidoreh," Link said in a ragged voice. There was a new strength in his voice. He steadied himself as he felt the pain in his wound lessen.

"You idiot," Vidoreh spat. He took a step back, stunned. The boy wasn't supposed to be doing this. He was supposed to be dying. For the first time since the battle began, the tyrant felt a pang of fear. "You're too injured to even wield that sword now."

"Says you," Link said with a shaking voice. He took a step forward, raising his sword. He knew what to do.

A flash of light came out of the Triforce on his hand, and two symbols surrounded Vidoreh. Link dashed forward. Within a minute, the Triforce Slash had sent Vidoreh sprawling on the ground. The young Hero finished it with the ending blow.

The black barriers faded. The Triforce on Link's hand glowed brighter. He backed away from Vidoreh, nearly falling over as the Sages, free to help now, circled the villain in their orb forms. Link looked down at the Triforce on his hand. He only expected the bottom right to be glowing, but he saw the top glowing as well. He had Courage and Power now. He looked around and saw Zelda. He ran over to her, nearly stumbling. He dropped to his knees, his sword clattering to the floor.

"Zelda," he said. It hurt to talk. His voice was ragged. "Zelda."

Zelda opened her eyes. Her face contorted in pain. Her clothes were stained with blood. "Link…he is gone?"

"Yes…Vidoreh is gone."

Zelda nodded. She closed her eyes, still grimacing in pain.

"Can you stand?" Link asked.

Zelda opened her eyes again and tried to sit up. She fell back, but Link caught her.

"My leg is broken," Zelda gasped. "I think my arm is as well."

Link sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry, Zelda. I didn't want this to happen."

"It was not your fault. I do not blame you, so you shall not blame yourself."

"I still feel horrible for this," Link said. He gently kissed her forehead. "I am still sorry."

Zelda's eyes fell on his bloodstained tunic. "What did he do to you?" she asked anxiously.

"It doesn't matter," Link replied. The pain was returning. He didn't have long. He sheathed the Master Sword and gently picked Zelda up, carrying her in his strong arms. She wrapped her good arm around his shoulders.

"Do not strain yourself," Zelda said weakly.

"I'm fine," Link replied. He turned to the Sages, who had been watching him since they sealed away Vidoreh.

"We'll get you out of here," Saria said. The other Sages nodded and turned back into their orb forms. There was a flash of light and Link found himself standing in the entrance hall, still carrying Zelda. Zelda had closed her eyes. By the look of it, she had fallen into unconsciousness again. Darunia hurried ahead, and opened the door to the courtyard.

When Link stepped out, he saw just how victorious his friends were. Piles of bones lay around the courtyard. Nenah was bandaging Nathan's hand and scolding him. Camilla was helping Midori bandage her wound from her battle with Kaldari. Midori saw Link first, a look of worry crossing her face. Camilla turned.

Link would never forget the Sheikah's expression of horror and shock at seeing her daughter so wounded. Camilla ran forward, giving a cry of distress. Link lowered Zelda onto the ground.

"What happened?" Camilla dropped to the ground, tears staining her face.

"She was stopping Vidoreh from killing me…" Link replied hoarsely. Camilla looked at him, hearing the rasp in his voice. He could see the worry for him in her eyes as well.

"Mama, I had to," Zelda said suddenly, but weakly. She opened her eyes, but just barely. "I made a promise."

"Save your strength, Zelda," Vorges said as he knelt next to his daughter. He and Camilla began to speak urgently in their Sheikah language. Link looked down at Zelda's face.

Black spots began to flood his vision.

"You better sit." Midori was standing in front of him. Link nodded but before he could, the blackness took over and he fainted.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's note: So, thanks to Llwynog the Bard for the review, and I hope this chapter answers some questions. This is the second to last chapter, and I will post the final chapter tomorrow (or later today) seeing as I will being on vacation again and will have little to no access to a computer until the 15th/16th. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading. Don't hesitate to leave a review!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

All of Hyrule watched the young Hero kneel before the Sage of Forest. To them, this young man had fulfilled all their wishes in a hero: kind, courageous, knightly, honorable. To some before this day, he had just been the Protector's son, a scholarly boy, smart and knowledgeable in past events. To others, a ray of hope in a dark time when people were afraid to step from their houses. They didn't know what he had done, yet they knew he had done something. But to a select few, the closest to this Hero, they had known him as such, for he wielded Courage against tyranny. He was the one who had brought peace back to Hyrule.

And now all Hylians, Zora, Gerudo, Gorons, Sheikah, and even the Kokiri and one or two Twili knew of what this brave warrior had done and they all gathered to see this boy become what they had known him all along to be: the King.

Link closed his eyes, waiting for it to be over with. He didn't like the attention. But he was king. He had to accept this as he had accepted being the Hero of Time.

In this small space of time, he reflected on all that had happened in the past eight days. It had taken him four days to recover enough from the battle against Vidoreh. The other four days had been spent with Saria nagging him about being crowned king. She had argued that Hyrule had no leader, and since he was the only heir to the throne left, he had to be the one to lead the country in this time of peace.

Link had finally agreed, and decided that Saria should be the one to crown him, seeing as she was the first one to realize that he was the Hero. And Hyrule respected the Sages. It was perfect...well, at least that part was. He hadn't seen or heard of Zelda since he defeated Vidoreh. He had seen Camilla a few days ago, but she had no news of her daughter – she hadn't been in her home town yet since Vorges had taken Zelda back to recover in a quieter, calmer place.

Deep down, Link longed to see his friend again. He missed her. But he didn't know when he would see her, sad as it was.

Saria's voice cut through his thoughts. "Rise, Link, you are a true king now."

Link opened his eyes and stood, turning to face the crowd, which burst into cheering. Calls of "long live the king" and "speech" rang out among the cheering and clapping. Link glanced at Saria. She only grinned.

The calls of "speech" got more frequent as the cheering died down. Link tried to come up with something to say as he watched the crowd, scanning for the familiar faces of those he knew.

An idea came to him. He raised his hand and silence slowly enveloped the crowd. Link began. "First, let me just say that I am no public speaker, so I'm going to make this short and to the point." Link paused as laughter rippled through the crowd. He scanned the crowd again and spotted Midori. She was standing next to Rodezant. They both gave him a thumbs up.

"This shattering of peace was caused by nothing more and nothing less then the selfish greed of a single man. Lives were ended or threatened, homes destroyed, peace shattered, all because of a single want for a power so greatly misunderstood. Not even I understand it fully, even though I hold two parts of it. What these people, driven by greed, do not understand is that the true Power, the true Courage, the true Wisdom, lies in every person's heart, no matter if he is Goron or Hylian, Zora or Gerudo, Sheikah or Twili or Kokiri. Even the worst of the thieves and criminals have it in them. You must look deep down to find it: it is there.

"When you recall this day and these events, remember these words as well: look inside to find the greatest power, not outside. No one man or woman has a greater power than another, and that knowledge is what brings peace and harmony."

For a moment, silence reigned. Then the crowd began to cheer.

The ceremony being over, Link mingled with the crowd, talking to people he had known before the bad times and to those who he had never met. After a few minutes, he had found Ty and Nathan.

"Dude, we so need to play you a song for your coronation," Nathan said.

Link laughed. "Maybe after this crowd dies down."

"Like that's going to happen," Ty said. "They all want to talk to you."

"I know. I'm not going to get a single minute's peace until then."

As if to prove this, he was bombarded with a hug. Link gasped and grimaced in pain – the person had hugged him way to tight around the middle and his still healing wound cried out. He freed himself, turned, and saw Rinn.

"Hey, there, Hero-boy," the Gerudo said.

"Did you have to hug me so hard?" Link said.

"Sorry, forgot you've still got that hole."

At these words, Ty and Nathan burst into laughter. Rinn raised an eyebrow at them.

"They're a little on the hyper side today," Link explained. Rinn nodded.

"Tell me, why didn't you mention you are the king back when I was leading you to the Spirit Temple?"

"'Cause I didn't feel like it," Link replied in a teasing voice.

Rinn crossed her arms and looked at him with a serious face. Link merely grinned. Rinn couldn't resist any longer. She broke into a smile. "Well, good luck. I'm sure King Naebon would be glad to give you pointers if you ever need it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Link replied. Rinn grinned and headed off to talked with a few other Gerudo. Link looked at Ty and Nathan. "You two can't control yourselves for one second, can you?"

"Nope," they said together as Camilla walked up behind them.

"I hope you do not mind keeping calm, then, if I talk to him," Camilla said suddenly. Ty jumped.

"Better sharpen those senses of yours, Ty," Link teased while Nathan laughed at his twin. Ty rolled his eyes. He and Nathan walked off. Link looked hopefully at Camilla.

"Come with me, Link," the Sheikah said. Link nodded and followed Camilla through the crowd. People parted, trying to give him room to pass. Link sighed...being king gave him too much attention...but then again, so did being a hero. The crowd parted again and Link saw just where Camilla was taking him.

Sitting next to Vorges on one of the stone benches to the side of the town center was Zelda. Her left arm was in a sling, and her right leg was bandaged tightly, but she seemed happy. Link couldn't help but grin as their eyes met. Zelda stood using her father's shoulder as support. Link hurried forward. At the last moment, Zelda let go of her father and pulled Link closer into a hug. Link lowered his head and kissed her. He didn't care about the whistles or cheers coming from the bystanders who witnessed this passionate act.

All he cared about was that Zelda was on the mend and here with him. It was all that mattered...

* * *

><p>"What are you reading?"<p>

Link looked up from his book and saw Zelda watching him from the couch. "I thought you were asleep," he said.

"I was."

Link smiled. A week had passed since Link's coronation. He was keeping Zelda company while she recovered from the worst of her injuries, and Vorges had told him that he was welcome in their home in Kakariko any time and that he was considered a member of the family. Zelda had insisted that Link come recuperate in Kakariko away from the busy castle, and he finally agreed.

"So what are you reading?" Zelda asked again.

"Just that book of tales Nabooru gave me."

"It looks like a textbook."

Link laughed. Zelda grinned.

"I am curious," Zelda said. "Is being a king busy...so busy that you have no time to read? You have been reading that for a long while now."

"It is busy, but I do read. I'm actually re-reading some of my favorite stories in here. Especially this one."

Zelda pushed herself up with her good arm. "What one is that?"

"A Sheikah legend."

"You are just saying that."

"No." Link paused and read aloud the beginning to the legend.

"I may have to borrow that book," Zelda said. She grimaced as she rearranged herself into a better position. "But you have a wonderful voice when you read."

"I take it you want me to continue."

Zelda shrugged and fiddled with her sling. She looked up as she heard her mother enter the room. She sighed. "Not again," she muttered as Camilla handed her a small cup. Zelda looked into it, making a face.

"Do you want to be in pain?" Camilla asked bluntly, seeing her daughter's reaction.

"No, but this medicine is worse," Zelda replied.

"It can't be that bad," Link commented.

"It is, trust me."

"Just take it, Zelda," Camilla said. "I am not leaving until you do."

"Mama, do I have to?"

"Now, Zelda." Camilla folded her arms and looked sternly at her daughter.

Zelda looked pleadingly at Link, who merely shrugged and started to read again. Zelda sighed and quickly took the medicine, shivering with disgust as she did so. She handed the cup back to Camilla and made a face as her mother left the room. Link watched her and laughed. He looked down at his book and continued to read aloud for Zelda, who shuddered again and settled down to listen.

A little while later, Link paused and looked up. Zelda looked like she had fallen asleep again. He smiled slightly and closed the book.

"You are stopping?" Zelda asked. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I thought you fell asleep," Link replied.

"I tricked you, then," she said with a grin. She sat up. "I feel much better now. That medicine, gross as it may be, helps quite a bit."

"That's good." Link watched as she reached down underneath the couch and pulled out a crutch that Vorges had made for her so she could move about without having to rely on another person.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" she asked, slowly getting to her feet with the help of the crutch.

"Are you up to it?" Link asked, standing as well.

"Perhaps." Zelda started out of the room and Link followed her into the main room of the house where Camilla was reading.

"Mama, may Link and I go for a walk?" Zelda asked. Camilla looked up from her book. She looked at Zelda for a moment. "For a little bit."

"Thank you, Mama."

"Link, you keep a close eye on her, got it?"

"I will," Link said as Zelda moved to the door. Once outside, Link was surprised at just how fast Zelda could move. Link quickened his pace to catch up with her. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"A quiet place," Zelda said, leading him up a path that went away from the village.

The quiet place turned out to be a spot next to the old windmill.

"This is quiet?" Link asked as Zelda sat down on a crate next to the door of the windmill.

"Yes. The only people who come up here is the windmill man – he has already been in today – and the children of the tribe. But they are all at their lessons. I would be, too, if...well..." She motioned to her injured leg.

"Lessons?" Link asked, leaning against the wall next to Zelda.

"Yes. The younger ones learn to read, write. They learn the history of our tribe and things like that. The older ones learn the skills to become a Sheikah warrior, and those who do not want to fight learn other skills, such as healing."

"And how long does the training last?"

"Until we come of age. On the Sheikah's sixteenth birthday, he or she is tested in all the knowledge and skills they have been taught, and if they pass, they are true members of the tribe. If not, they must take an entire year to review and practice and learn. No Sheikah has ever taken more than a year to pass, because the shame of failing is great. My father was one of the ones who did not pass on the first try."

"That's a little hard to believe."

Zelda nodded. "But he worked hard and passed with the best score of all the others who had passed that year."

Link sighed. He sat down, leaning against the wall of the windmill. Zelda watched him.

"Something is bothering you," she stated.

Link glanced at her. "I have a lot of things on my mind," he replied.

"Yes, but I have not seen you look like that before." She observed him, noting how he looked down at his left hand. "It is just a triangle."

"With immense power." Link sighed again. "I've been thinking that maybe in Hyrule the Triforce is dangerous. Evil could leak into the world. I've been thinking...maybe we should return the Triforce back to the Sacred Realm."

"I have recently become rather fond of this Triforce," Zelda said, almost reluctantly, looking down as well at the Triforce on her hand.

"Did you listen to a word of the speech I made at my coronation?" Link asked.

"Yes, but it is not for that reason that I am fond of it." She smiled at him. "It saved the life of the man I love. Though I cannot figure out why he did not bother to tell me."

Link instinctively put a hand to where his wound had been. All that was left of the injury was a scar and some nasty bruising. "I didn't want to worry you. You were much worse off than I was."

"That is a lie. You were nearly killed. I just have some broken bones. And besides, I just had to find out the cause of that blood on your tunic after that fight. So, the other day when Ty and Nathan were here and you were out doing kingly business, I got them to tell me the whole thing."

"Again, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

Zelda laughed. Link grinned and shook his head. "Back to the original topic. Should we return it?"

"We do not need to."

Link stared at her. Then he stood. "Come, we should head back."

Zelda nodded. She struggled to her feet once more. Link helped her up. For a moment, they stood, staring into one another's eyes. Then they moved closer and kissed passionately. They only split apart half a minute later when Camilla called for them, her voice echoing through the village. Zelda smiled shyly. Link grinned. "I love you, Zelda," he said softly.

Zelda's smile grew. "And I you," she replied. She and Link headed off to the house.

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><p><em>Author's note: Those of you confused as to why Link is King, check back to chapter four. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you with chapter 17!<em>


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Link followed the three-year-old girl, Avylon, across the drawbridge of Old Hyrule Castle. It had been fifteen years since defeating Vidoreh, and a lot had happened since then. Link had slowly gotten used to being king, and there were days when he longed for the simple life of a hero, or better yet, Protector. He was still all three, and at times the stress of it all drove him up the wall. It was then that he took refuge in Old Hyrule Kakariko, where the Sheikah there knew better than to bug him.

Link looked up at the sky, noting how its colors were turning a dusky purple. It would soon be time. The clouds threw pink highlights into the purple. It had rained earlier, and he feared that he wouldn't be able to do what he had been planning to do, what had become tradition fourteen years ago. But the rain and sky had cleared. Only the puddles remained, and it was to one of these puddles that Avylon was heading.

"Oh no you don't, Avy," Link said, scooping up the little girl into his arms before she made a real mess of her dress (already the hem was wet). She squealed with laughter, her blue eyes that contained only a hint of purple lighting up. Link kissed her cheek and she hugged him as best she could with her small arms. Link continued on with Avylon in his arms to the gatehouse across the small field next to the castle. There, on top of the gatehouse – the only dry place, but also the place they always had this tradition – sat Zelda and a five-year-old boy, who was named for his grandfather. Yes...the boy's name was Conrad. On either side of the wide, flat arch that went over the actual gate were railings so that the two children wouldn't be in danger of falling.

Zelda looked up from what she was doing and frowned. "Did she get into a puddle?" she asked as Link set Avylon down before sitting next to Zelda. The little girl sat next to her brother and they both watched Zelda's swift hands fold and crease a large sheet of paper.

"She's fast. She got to the puddle before I realized what she was doing." He looked up again. The clouds had faded from pink to purple, and the sky was getting darker.

"Father?" Avylon's small voice broke the silence.

"Yes, Avy?" Link replied, looking back at Avylon.

"Can you make it glow again?" the little girl asked. Link scooped her up once more, settling her in his lap. He took her left hand in his left hand. Zelda paused in her folding, a smile on her lips, watching Link and Avylon. A moment later, the Triforce on Link's hand lit up with the two triangles glowing brighter than the third, and a second after that, a smaller Triforce on Avylon's hand glowed with all three triangles glowing equally.

"Mama says it is the sign of the Protector," Avylon said.

"She's right," Link said, glancing at Zelda. "You will become the Protector, and Conrad will become king." Conrad grinned at hearing this. Silence once more reigned, and Link looked down at the two Triforce symbols that glowed on through the night.

"Are you going to help me, Link? We still have two more to make." Zelda's sweet voice cut through Link's thoughts.

"Maybe," Link teased. Zelda rolled her eyes and grinned. Avylon got off Link's lap as he pulled a sheet of paper closer.

For a while, Link and Zelda talked quietly, folding their sheets of paper. The elaborate folds soon turned the paper into lanterns. As Link was putting the final touches on the four lanterns he and Zelda had made, the sky became fully dark. Link looked up. The stars shone brightly, but there was no moon. Avylon, curled up in her mother's lap, was nearly asleep when Link said, "It's time to light the lanterns."

"Father, can I light mine this year?" Conrad asked.

"Only if you're very careful," Link replied. He handed Conrad a long, thin stick and stood next to his son as he lit first the stick with the fire from a small candle and then his lantern's small candle. The young prince then carefully handed the long match to Zelda, who swiftly lit her and Avylon's lanterns. Finally, Link lit his and blew out the match. The way the lanterns were designed they would float up after a while of having a candle lit underneath; the warm drafts caused it to rise.

"Why do we light the lanterns?" Avylon asked.

"It is to celebrate the long years of peace in Hyrule," Zelda explained. "Since your father returned the peace, we have always lit the lanterns."

"And as long as there is peace in Hyrule, this tradition will go on," Link added, watching as Conrad's lantern slowly lifted into the air. The two children were riveted. Once all four were airborne and floating up to the starry sky, Link lay back, his hands supporting his head. He watched the glowing lanterns grow smaller and smaller, while his thoughts drifted to those who he knew would be sending the lanterns off this night as well...

In Kakariko, Ty and his young family would be lighting the lanterns alongside Nathan, Nenah, Camilla, and Vorges. Deep in Kokiri Forest, Saria and the rest of the Kokiri would send out their lanterns as well. And in the Twilight Realm, Midori, Rodezant, and their son, Rody, would join in, though their lanterns wouldn't be seen by any in Hyrule. Leaders of the various tribes would also send up their lanterns, as they, too, were responsible for making the peace of Hyrule last.

"Link, I see more," Zelda said, as she lay down next to him, with Avylon and Conrad on either side of her. Link looking in the direction she was pointing.

Ten lanterns floated up in the air. "They're coming from Kakariko...but why are there so many?" Link wondered.

"Maybe there are more Sheikah joining in this year."

"Maybe." Link sighed. Another group of lanterns joined the sky, and Link knew these were the Kokiri lanterns.

As the night wore on and the lanterns grew smaller until they seemed like stars, Conrad and Avylon fell asleep. Link sighed peacefully, before sitting up. "Maybe we should take them to bed," he said. Zelda nodded and stood, picking up Avylon. Link stood as well, hoisting his son into his arms. He and Zelda walked slowly back to the castle, avoiding the left over puddles.

Once they had put their children to bed, Link and Zelda sat out on the balcony next to their room, still watching the starry sky. Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I forgot to tell you," Link said. "I saw Midori yesterday."

"You did?"

"Yeah. She told me something interesting. Apparently, since Kaldari changed her ways and all that, she's been in Hyrule a lot more often than we realized."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I guess. She's found someone, a Hylian, to talk to and he's helped her out. And now, as Midori told me, the two have fallen in love."

Zelda lifted her head off Link's shoulder. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Do we know him?"

Link nodded, a smile crossing his face.

"Well, who is he?"

Link chuckled a bit. "She's fallen in love with Nathan."

For a moment, Zelda stared at him. "You are joking with me," she stated in that usual manner of hers.

"I wish I were. But I met Midori in Kakariko, and saw the whole thing with my own eyes. A Twili and a Hylian...it's a bit of an odd couple, but those two are closer than anyone would have imagined." He laughed again.

"That reminds me of another couple I know," Zelda said.

"What couple?"

Zelda looked him in the eyes and smiled softly. "Us. We were smitten the moment we met."

"That's true." Link grinned, thinking back on all the days he and Zelda had spent together, on the days when they traversed Hyrule in search of the six Sages, on the day he surprised her by proposing...

He lowered his face to hers and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed back. After a moment, they broke apart, but only slightly. Zelda's arms were still around Link's shoulders. Link kissed her forehead and whispered into the night: "What would I do without you?"

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: So here it is, the last chapter of <strong>The Protector<strong>. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story. Thanks to those of you who reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. And a sepcial thanks goes to **Llwynog the Bard** for reviewing the previous chapter. If you liked this one, then check out my other stories as well if you haven't already. I will be posting soon a **Spirit Tracks** fanfiction, so keep your eye out for it!_

_Until next time!_

**_~TwiliRupee~_**


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